


Airspace

by Myllee



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, atc!Dany, pilot!Jon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:07:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 30,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24258649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myllee/pseuds/Myllee
Summary: Pilot: Iron Airways 1012B Gate 5 is available for us.Control Tower: That's great, thank you for the info. If you can get under, over or through the ValeJet A320 between you and gate 5, you let me know.Daenerys lowered her head to the desk, slamming her forehead against it. It was going to be one ofthosedays.
Relationships: Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 258
Kudos: 624





	1. Takeoff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again everyone,
> 
> This is what I've been working on for the last few weeks, and I'm very pleased to finally start posting.
> 
> The inspiration for this work came from:  
> \- Actual transcripts of control tower / pilot communication. About 99% of the transcripts here have actually happened irl. Crazy stuff.  
> \- One of my favorite books ever: [Airframe](http://www.michaelcrichton.com/airframe/). Seriously, I've lost count of how many times I've read that thing (ironically, it's my favorite book to read during flights).
> 
> Let's get right to it then,
> 
> Enjoy!

_  
**King's Landing International Airport, Monday 0900**   
_  


_Control tower: Riverlands Air 3210, are you with me?  
  
Pilot: We are with you, we're stuck behind this Iron here.  
  
CT: Yes, he seemed to have evaporated. Kindly call your ramp and tell him he needs to inform me if he's going to park on the taxiway indefinitely.  
  
<pause>  
  
CT: Iron Airways 2017, are you back with me?  
  
Pilot: Yep!  
  
CT: Alright, you can't hold there. What's the word on your gate?  
  
Pilot: Trying to figure that out.  
  
CT: Westerwings 6, what gate are you waiting for?  
  
Pilot: Westerwings 6, still waiting for our gate.  
  
CT: And what gate would that be?  
  
Pilot: Umm... Gate 8 Westerwings 6.  
  
_

Daenerys Targaryen leaned back in her chair in the control tower of King's Landing international airport, reaching for her coffee mug and gulping down the cold dregs at the bottom. The coffee at the tower was always awful but it got the job done.

It was a typical day in the tower. The sun was shining brightly outside the window and everything seemed to be in order so far. She surveyed the vast airfield spread outside the window in front of her.

They had a bit of a queue earlier when a large number of incoming flights were scheduled to land at approximately the same time, but Dany handled it with her usual efficiency. There was a reason she was the youngest senior ATC in many years, after all. She was good at what she did.

She glanced at the screen in front of her, showing the pending departures, double-checking everything was as it should be. 

  
_Pilot: Iron Airways 1012B holding, we're not yet cleared into the ramp, there's an aircraft still on the stand._

  
Daenerys groaned to herself. It was the cocky voice of Captain Theon Greyjoy. She hated dealing with him. He always had a tone of voice suggesting he knew better than the ATCs in the tower and was prone to arguing with them. She had no idea how an idiot like that ever became a pilot. Although, she thought grimly to herself, his father owning the airline might have had something to do with it.

She tapped the mic at her cheek. 

  
_CT: Yes, I'm aware of that, Iron Airways 1012B, that's why you're parked there. Call me when you can get on the ramp.  
  
Pilot: CLA 12, Gate 7 is available for us._

  
Dany glanced quickly out the window, confirming what she already knew. 

  
_CT: No it's not, I'll call you when it's available, I'm the one who can see it, not you._

  
_Pilots._ Some of them were arrogant dickheads. There was a reason it was called a _cockpit_. 

  
_Pilot: Iron Airways 1012B Gate 5 is available for us._

  
Dany rolled her eyes. 

  
_CT: That's great, thank you for the info. If you can get under, over or through the ValeJet A320 between you and gate 5, you let me know._

  
She lowered her head to the desk, slamming her forehead against it. It was going to be one of _those_ days.

A few meters away, Missandei, one of her coworkers and best friend sent a sympathetic glance her way, "Pilots being idiots again?"

Dany groaned, "You don't know the half of it."

Missy glanced over at the list of departing flights on the screen, "Ah, let me guess... Greyjoy?"

"You got it."

Dany checked the display on the screen in front of her. There was about to be a short lull in the activity. She could probably step away for a second. She stood up and stretched, removing her headset and placing it on the desk. "Cover for me for a second, will you?"

"Sure." Missy took Dany's seat, fitting the headset on.

Dany hastened to the coffee pot to refill her mug and grab a bagel from the basket Missy had so kindly brought when she had arrived earlier this morning. She was very considerate that way.

Dany, despite being extremely methodical and having an excellent memory, skills that served her well in her job as an Air Traffic Controller, always seemed to forget about innocuous things such as breakfast. Coffee was her fuel. But she couldn't deny having actual food every now and then made her morning somewhat brighter.

Missandei stood up when Dany hurried back to her desk, coffee mug in hand and bagel clutched between her teeth.

"'fank yoo," she mumbled, mouth still full of bagel.

"No problem."

She plopped back in her seat, putting the headset back on. She glanced at the radar screen. Three flights were about to depart. 

  
_Pilot: Air Braavos 452 with you on Delta for 6 left.  
  
CT: Air Braavos 452 continue on Delta, hold short of 6 left.  
  
Pilot: Delta, hold short of 6 left Air Braavos 452._

  


✈✈✈

  


_**King's Landing International Airport, Wednesday 1600** _

  
_Pilot: Umm... Tower, CrownJet 2104, a black cat just ran across the runway, right here where we're at._

  
Dany frowned, confused. 

  
_CT: Say again CrownJet 2104? A black cat?  
  
Pilot: Yeah a black cat just ran across our path right there at the intersection._

  
Dany fought hard to suppress a giggle. 

  
_CT: Alright, I hope the rest of your day goes well. Erm, is he clear of the runway? He's not embedded in the runway, is he?  
  
Pilot: <laugh> No, no, he's south of the runway, right by the sign to the left.  
  
CT: Alright CrownJet 2104, thank you for the report._

  
Dany shook her head, giggling to herself. Nobody said the job didn't come with some comic relief moments.

About two and a half hours later, Dany yawned, glancing at the clock mounted on the wall. 18:40. She had only twenty minutes left to the end of her shift. Her eyes were already itching with tiredness and her stomach was rumbling with hunger. It was one of those rare days when she and Missandei were scheduled to finish their shifts at the same time, so they made plans to go have dinner together afterwards.

Dany stretched her legs, tapping the colored blocks that represented incoming flights on the screen in front of her. ATCs were normally restricted to either departures or arrivals, but Daenerys was one of those rare individuals certified to handle both.

She bit her lip when she saw NAL 1520 flashing on her screen. A Northern Airlines flight was inbound. Could it be...? She tapped the block, opening the flight manifest. Her lips automatically curled up in a smile at the name on the screen. 

Cpt. Jon Snow.

As if prompted by her thoughts, her headset crackled. 

  
_Pilot: Northern Airlines 1520 requesting approach clearance._

  
Dany had always enjoyed hearing his voice on the radio. He was always polite and efficient, occasionally displaying a biting sense of humor. And he had the sexiest northern lilt to his voice. She would be embarrassed to admit it but, out of curiosity, she actually looked up his picture once, just to see if the face was as attractive as the voice.

She clearly remembered the picture she had found in his file. Jet-black closely-cropped hair, steel-colored eyes, smooth jaw, back straight and rigid. He had a vague military appearance, probably ex-airforce. The face was certainly attractive, she just wished his hair was longer. She was never a fan of the military-style crew-cut.

She had never met him, but she nevertheless liked hearing the sound of his voice through her headset. That was how she communicated with most people nowadays, anyway.

She tapped her mic to respond. 

  
_CT: Clearance granted Northern Airlines 1520, head to foxtrot. Maintain 2500 feet until established.  
  
Pilot: Heading to foxtrot, maintaining 2500 until established Northern Airlines 1520._

  
She never had any issues when Captain Snow was in the pilot's seat. He had an impressive record and thousands of hours of experience despite his young age (thirty-four. She checked). His skill rivaled that of much more seasoned pilots. She had been there for many takeoffs and landings. He was always calm, collected, cool under pressure.

There was a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned her head to see Missy handing her a note. She glanced at it, frowning slightly, then tapped her mic again. 

  
_CT: Northern Airlines 1520 be advised of icy runway. It was cleared before but may still be slicker than usual.  
  
Pilot: Roger that Northern Airlines 1520, I'll break softly._

  
Dany could hear him chuckling, then speaking again. But it didn't seem to be directed at her. 

  
_Pilot: It's been snowing heavily in Winterfell. Perfect time for me to go see Ghost._

  
Ghost? Captain Snow didn't seem to have noticed his mic was still transmitting.

Dany smiled to herself. Strictly speaking, the line was supposed to be clear save for official transmissions. But... she could have some fun. 

  
_CT: Do you live in a haunted mansion, captain?_

  
She heard him mutter, "What the f-" and then chuckling again. 

  
_Pilot: Apologies, I didn't mean to key the mic._

  
There was a slight pause and then: 

  
_Pilot: And Ghost is my wolf, he lives on my family's estate in Winterfell._

  
_He has a wolf?_ She was tempted to continue this conversation, but it was ill-advised to have such exchanges on an open frequency. 

Maybe she could talk to him someday... and not through a radio. She quickly banished the absurd thought from her mind. She didn't even know him. Silly banter about ghosts through the radio didn't constitute an actual conversation. 

And besides, he was ex-military, she was sure of it. Surely a stickler for rules and as stiff as a board. And as much as she admired such traits in a professional setting, in her personal life she preferred something more... chaotic. Something exciting, dangerous, even. She wanted someone who could blow her mind.

Another call came in and Dany tightened the headset around her ears, putting everything but the job out of her mind.

Dany glanced at the clock again. 18:02. Her shift had ended two minutes ago. She saw the ATC who was scheduled for the next shift, Brienne, already milling about, her coffee mug in her hand.

"It's all yours," Dany stood up and yawned, gesturing to the desk.

Brienne smiled, taking her seat and grabbing the headset, "Good day today?"

"Same old, I suppose," she pointed at the screen. "ValeJet here only just showed up now. Crosswinds. You'll have four arrivals scheduled between 18:30 and 18:50."

"I see that. Thanks."

Brienne was extremely smart and capable. And unlike some of her male colleagues, she had no problems at all having Daenerys as her supervisor, despite her younger age.

"I'm off then, good night." Brienne waved back without looking, already speaking into the mic.

Missandei came towards her, hoisting her handbag on her shoulder, "Ready?"

"Let's go."

They made their way out through the door and down the elevator to the ground floor, heading towards the terminal. They flashed their badges at the security guard at a side entrance and he stepped aside to let them through.

Their destination was one of their usual haunts, Missy's favorite salad bar. Dany looked around as they passed hoards of passengers, all waiting for their flights, happily shopping at the duty-free stores, and having loud conversations with one another.

The airport always had such energy, a kind of excitement buzzing in the air. The possibility of going on an adventure. Most passengers looked so expectant and eager. Looking forward to a great vacation or to return home to their loved ones. She had always loved the atmosphere.

Missy glanced at her, lips curling up in a smile, "I always forget how much you love the airport."

Dany just smiled at her friend.

"You know," Missy said, "you really should make use of your vacation days. Go somewhere. Have your own adventure."

Dany rolled her eyes and shook her head, "I don't have time for it. And it wouldn't be much fun alone, anyway."

Missy bit her lip, looking apologetic, "I wish we could do a repeat of Dorne, but..." she gestured towards her stomach, which had a prominent baby-bump.

"Don't be silly, Miss," Dany smiled, nudging her shoulder, "I'm good, really."

Dany's last real vacation had been with Missy in Dorne, almost two years ago. They spent a whole week lying on the beach, eating junk food, drinking cocktails at the pub near their hotel at night, and enjoying the flirting passes from the locals.

It was shortly before Missy's wedding and subsequent pregnancy, and Dany was glad she could spend that time with her friend before she got her hands full with raising a family.

They entered the small cafe, going to order at the counter before choosing a table next to one of the glass walls.

Their food arrived swiftly. Giant bowls of salad were placed in front of them, along with a loaf of bread, still steaming, and a small butter dish.

They dug into their plates immediately.

"You know," said Missy, enthusiastically buttering a slice of the warm, spiced Meereenese bread, "I still wish you would take some time off. Go somewhere, anywhere. You don't have to go as far as Dorne. Go lay on a beach. Visit a museum. Buy an overpriced pair of shoes. Do _something_ other than working."

Dany shrugged, "I will at some point. I just have so much to do at work at the moment."

Missy rolled her eyes, "There is always much to do at work."

"I have all these new trainees to oversee," Dany retorted, "and you know we've been short of personnel since Irri moved, I don't really think it would be a good idea for me to take time off now."

The truth was, Dany was just not enthusiastic about taking a vacation alone. And there was nobody, aside from Missy, that she was excited to go with. She had never been great at forming social bonds, preferring her alone time.

And she had pretty much given up on having a relationship.

It wasn't that she hadn't tried. She had, for a time. She just never felt that spark. That _something_ that romance novels and romantic comedies always gushed about. That feeling of wanting to give anything and everything to another person.

She initially thought that maybe she was to blame. Maybe she wasn't trying hard enough. So she tried, she gave it her best shot. Her last boyfriend, Daario, had been her best attempt at a serious relationship. She did everything she was supposed to do for a while. Going out to dinners, watching movies together, having after-work drinks, breakfast in bed, the perfunctory sex three times a week. She really tried.

But it felt empty. Even when she tried to turn her mind off and just enjoy the physical part of the relationship, she realized she was thinking about other things, mostly work, until the deed was done.

So eventually, she gave up. She told Daario it wasn't working for her, it wasn't him it's her and all that jazz. And from that moment, she threw herself deeper into her work. That was her most significant relationship now, the one with the control tower.

It might sound sad to someone else, someone like Missy, who had a loving husband and a baby on the way, but Dany was fine with it. She liked her life, she liked her job and she liked not having to pretend to be a part of a happy couple anymore just to appear "normal" (whatever the hells that was).

Maybe love was just not meant for her. And there was nothing wrong with that.

It was much simpler to just pick up some random guy in a bar every now and then. Take him to her place, let him take care of her baser needs, and kick him out as soon as it was over. It'd been a long time since she'd done that, either, preferring to focus her nervous energy on her work instead.

Dany dug into her tuna avocado salad, fishing out a plump red cherry tomato and popping it into her mouth, filling it with a sweet tangy flavor.

"So how about you?" she asked, resolving to steer the conversation away from her non-existent vacation plans, "Big plans this weekend?"

Missy smiled happily, "Yes! Grey and I are going to spend two nights at this adorable little cabin in the Reach. Oh, you should see it, it's so beautiful." Missy whipped out her phone, scrolling quickly before handing it to Dany.

It was a wooden cabin nestled among giant oaks and redwoods. There was sunlight filtering in through the heavy canopies, giving the place an ethereal quality, even through a phone screen. It looked perfectly quaint and rustic, exactly Missy's style.

"Looks just like your thing," Dany remarked with a smile, handing the phone back to her friend.

"It is! And there's a duck pond nearby with adorable little ducklings," Missy sighed dreamily, "it's going to be perfect."

Dany giggled at her friend's enthusiasm, genuinely happy for her.

After polishing off their bowls and devouring the rest of the bread, they slowly got up and made their way towards the terminal exit.

They bade each other good night and walked each to their own car. Dany yawned widely as she pushed the key into the ignition, slowly maneuvering the car to exit the parking area and towards the highway.

Rush hour traffic crept forward in the fading light of early evening. The sky was almost completely dark now, the city alight with artificial lighting from cars, lamp posts, and buildings.

Dany glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror, noting the dark circles under her eyes. Tired. She hadn't been sleeping well of late, making up for the few hours of sleep with extra consumption of caffeine. She knew it was probably not good for her but she hoped the insomnia would wear off with time. 

Dany kept this little issue under wraps since she knew what it meant for her work. If anyone at her workplace caught wind of it, she could be placed on temporary leave and required to undergo a psychological evaluation before they let her get back to work. So nobody knew about it save for Missandei, and Dany knew she would never tell.

Her performance at work remained excellent as always, so she wasn't overly worried about her unsatisfactory sleeping patterns.

She had ample experience with it after all.

Her mother had died in a car accident when she was very young. She had no real memories of her. If she strained her mind, she could recall a vague memory of a wave of silvery hair, much like her own, a soft hand on her cheek, and a tender kiss on her forehead. Even if she couldn't remember much of Rhaella Targaryen, she knew she had been a loving mother.

After the death of her mother, she was raised solely by her father. Or, more accurately, by an army of nannies and servants appointed by him to take care of her. Aerys Targaryen was not a cruel man. He had always made sure she would want for nothing. With the exception of fatherly love and attention. So she spent most of her childhood and early youth in boarding schools while her father was busy with the family business.

Around the time she turned sixteen, her father had succumbed to mental illness, losing most of the family's fortune in the process. Her older brother Rhaegar, already married with an infant child at the time, took her in.

Rhaegar and his family had been nothing short of wonderful to her, trying to make up for everything she went through in recent years. Rhaegar and his wife, Elia, had been the only people Dany could remember from her youth who told her they loved her.

But she still felt dreadfully out of place. An intruder in their little perfect family. And so, as soon as she turned eighteen, she had applied and was accepted into KL University to study aeronautics.

Her university years had been wonderful. She felt free. She made friends. And the studies, as intensive and mind-boggling as they were, had been fascinating. In the end, however, she didn't feel like going into aircraft manufacturing, which was the main occupation her degree had prepared her for. A few months short of graduation, she had stumbled upon a recruitment ad for Air Traffic Controller certification. She applied and, after passing the rigorous aptitude tests, was immediately accepted.

She had felt like she found her calling then. She naturally excelled at it. Apparently, her innate skills of maintaining her cool under pressure, excellent visual memory, and her perfect hearing and eyesight had made her a perfect fit for the role of air traffic controller.

After a surprisingly short on-the-job training period, she had been given extremely high responsibilities for a person so young. She was good at her job and she knew it.

Dany turned her car off the highway onto River Row, slowing down slightly to navigate through the narrow streets. It was one of the nicer parts of KL. A rather posh area, inhabited mostly by employees of the airport and the other airport-related businesses in the commercial area surrounding it.

Her family's money was all but gone by now, so she considered herself lucky she didn't have to rely on it. Her job, while extremely intensive and highly stressful, also came with a generous paycheck. It enabled her to buy a cozy two-bedroom apartment situated on a quiet street in one of the nicer areas of King's Landing, a mere fifteen-minute drive from the airport.

She pulled her car into her parking space, right in front of her apartment building. Turning the engine off, she snagged her handbag out of the passenger seat, and slowly headed towards the building's front door. 

She was suddenly exhausted. The lack of sleep and long stressful hours of work suddenly catching up to her. She clumsily pushed her key into the lock, opening the door.

A short elevator ride later and she was inside her apartment. She dropped her bag on the table by the entrance, and made her way straight into the spacious bathroom, kicking off her shoes along the way. Undressing quickly, she stepped into the shower, sighing in relief when the hot water hit her head and shoulders in a steady stream. The temperature was just below scalding, exactly how she liked it.

She slowly rotated her head, letting the hot water soothe out the kinks in her neck and shoulders. Sitting hunched over the console in the control tower never failed to make her shoulders ache after a shift.

After her shower, bundled in a soft crimson robe, she padded into the living room. The room was shrouded in darkness, the air warm and comforting. Not bothering to turn on the lights, she sprawled on her back on the plush sofa, stretching her aching legs. One would imagine sitting all day would cause no strain on the legs, but the long stretches of time of sitting unmoving had this unfortunate effect.

If Daenerys had to describe her apartment in one word, it would be 'peaceful'. Her cozy little haven. Its prime location in a quiet side-street and the thick double windows contributed to it being pleasantly quiet, making it soothing to her ears after her typical day, spent with a headset clamped to her head.

She grabbed the remote and turned the tv on, lowering the volume to a quiet hum. She idly flicked through the channels, settling on the news. After a few minutes of watching a tv reporter with perfect hair and perfect teeth speak at length about some protest or another near The Wall, she changed her mind and switched Netflix on.

Her finger hovered above the button in the remote, hesitating. She could watch a documentary, which was currently one of her favorite things to watch, or settle on some mindless sitcom. After a few seconds of internal debate, she settled on a random comedy. Too tired to concentrate, she just needed something nonsensical to put her to sleep.

At times like these, she missed having a cat. She used to have one. A sweet little furball named Balerion who used to curl at her feet and crawl into her bed. But her long, often irregular, work schedule was not the best fit for a pet. So after a while in her current position, she had to give it away to her brother.

At least she knew he was happy there. Her nephew and niece absolutely adored him and her brother and his wife spoiled him rotten.

But she missed it all the same. Having a furry little warm body to cuddle. Missed the warmth that eased the spark of loneliness that crept in around this hour of the evening.

Missandei would say it was human contact she craved, but Dany thought differently. Having a pet, she reasoned, was much less complicated than a boyfriend. Unfortunately, however, either required much more attention than she had the capacity to provide, it seemed.

She curled on the sofa, drawing a fluffy blanket around herself, letting the tv lull her to sleep.

  


✈✈✈

  


Dany awoke uneasily, before the alarm went off. She sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Last night had been another sleepless night. After falling into a light sleep on the sofa in front of the tv, she finally woke up after midnight and dragged herself to bed. She had half-heartedly pulled on a PJs and crawled beneath the heavy comforter.

Sleep had eluded her for what felt like half the night. She would wonder why, but she was already used to it so she didn't even bother. She assumed it had something to do with the high stress-level of her job. Her mind had trouble letting go, even in sleep.

She climbed out of bed and dragged herself to the kitchen. Stepping inside, she made a beeline for her coffee machine, running her fingers fondly over it. She had purchased her Nespresso Lattissima Pro as a birthday present to herself, over two years ago. It had cost her a small fortune, but to her, it was worth every single gold dragon she had paid for it. The coffee it made was glorious.

She flicked the switch on the machine and headed to the shower. After a quick wash to rouse herself, she pulled on her robe and made her way back into the kitchen to pour herself a generous cup of coffee. She went to the balcony, stepping outside and breathing the chilly morning air. The combination of that and the enticing aroma wafting from the coffee cup woke her up more effectively than anything else could.

Her shift was scheduled to start at 9:00, which meant she had almost two hours to kill before heading to the airport. She drummed her fingers restlessly on the edge of the balcony overlooking the inner courtyard, trying to decide what to do with her time.

She was too restless to read a book, too sick of tv to watch anything. She toyed with, and scrapped, the idea of going into work early. The other ATCs did not need her hovering over them. They would think she didn't trust them to do their job right.

Eventually, she resolved to go out to stretch her legs and buy some groceries at the local supermarket.

The empty coffee mug was discarded in the kitchen as she went to her bedroom to dress. A pair of jeans, a simple white t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers were the chosen attire, along with her black coat. She walked out the door, snagging her handbag from the table by the door on her way out.

The air was chilly outside but the sun was bright. She walked slowly, enjoying the fresh air. It was a nice change after all the hours holed up in the control tower.

At the store, she filled her basket with some basics. Bread, milk, toothpaste. She also snagged a carton of vanilla ice cream from the freezer on her way out.

After leisurely making her way back, putting away the groceries, and cleaning the kitchen, she finally resolved to go to work.

She hurried to change out of her casual attire and into a white blouse and dark gray knee-length skirt. She dragged a brush through her hair, hastily put on some make-up, and headed to her car.

The sun was shining brightly when she pulled out of the driveway to make her way towards the airport.

  


✈✈✈

  


_**King's Landing International Airport, Friday 1600** _  


  
_Pilot: Air Meereen 452 is 10 miles back on the left visual 32.  
  
CT: Air Meereen 452 altimeter is 30.05.  
  
Pilot: 30.05, Air Meereen 452.  
  
CT: Air Meereen 452 you're cleared to land runway 32.  
  
Pilot: Cleared to land, runway 32 Air Meereen 452._

Dany swiftly tapped on the screen in front of her, checking the schedules and monitoring the runways. It was a busy day at the airport. The holiday season was coming up and that meant an increase in volume and frequency of both incoming and outgoing flights.

"Missy," she called over her shoulder, "please call ground and let them know they need to clear the runways faster. We'll be facing huge delays if it takes too long."

"Got it," said Missy, the phone already at her ear.

Dany was feeling good today. She always felt better when the action kicked up a notch. She was in her element, high on adrenaline. The more there was to do, the more she thrived. This was it. This is why she loved her job. Her ability to expertly juggle fifty balls in the air simultaneously.

She was in a pleasant enough mood to let one of the new trainee ATCs handle the departures as soon as the hectic activity died down somewhat. 

The man sauntered over to the chair, leaning back as he pulled the headset on. Joffrey Baratheon. Dany never quite warmed up to him. He was arrogant, careless, and seemed to take it as a personal insult that his boss was younger than him AND a woman. But she knew she had to let him fly solo every now and then or he would never reach the skill level required for an ATC.

In the meantime, she went to help another controller who was struggling with a minor technical issue.

She was half-listening to Joffrey's voice in the background, speaking into the mic while focusing on the screen in front of her. 

  
_CT: Iron Airways 1203 hold short of runway 27R at Tango.  
  
Pilot: Hold 27R at Tango Iron Airways 1203.  
  
CT: Westerwings 749 cleared for takeoff, head to 27R.  
  
Pilot: Heading to 27R Westerwings 749._

  
It took a split-second for her distracted brain to notice something was wrong. Her head snapped up from the monitor, glancing at the one in front of Joffrey. _Shit_.

She rushed over to him, yanking the headset off his head, ignoring his startled yelp of annoyance.

"What are you-" he started saying, but she ignored him, hastily tapping the mic. 

  
_CT: Westerwings 749 cancel takeoff clearance.  
  
Pilot: Say again? Westerwings 749.  
  
CT: Westerwings 749 cancel takeoff clearance. I'm sorry about that, the runway is currently occupied. Make the right turn on Mike and you can taxi back to the runway.  
  
Pilot: Roger that, right turn on Mike Westerwings 749. _

  
Dany wrenched the headset off angrily and fixed her glare on Joffrey.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" she asked furiously.

He glowered back, red-faced and furious, "There was plenty of room-"

"No there wasn't, you could cause an accident," she spat back, her fists clenching.

She glanced at the clock, then turned back to glare at him, "You're done for today. Get out of here, we will discuss your disregard for the rules some other time."

"But I still have thirty minutes to-"

"I SAID you're done." If he stayed there one more second she was going to have an aneurysm. Or wring his careless, cocky neck.

He got up from the seat, sending the chair rolling backwards and almost causing it to tip over, and marched out, a sour look on his face.

Dany pulled the chair back and heavily sat in it, pulling the headset back on. She wasn't sure how that moron got this job, but she was starting to suspect it involved pulling some very questionable strings.

  


✈✈✈

  


Dany rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock. It was nearly 19:00. Time for her mandatory 30-minute break.

She got up from her chair, leaving the post in Brienne's capable hands, and slowly made her way out of the tower. Missy had left early for her long weekend with Grey, so Dany was going to get dinner alone.

She decided on the pizza parlor at the very heart of the terminal. It was a good spot to sit and watch the hustle and bustle of the airport. And they served a delicious pineapple pizza.

She made her order and sat at one of the cheap plastic tables. She gazed at the passengers passing by all around her. She absent-mindedly toyed with the napkin dispenser at the center of the table, waiting for her meal to arrive.

Being an ATC, she was used to picking up background noises, able to listen to multiple sources simultaneously. That was why, despite the multitude of loud voices all around her, she still managed to pick up a conversation happening right behind her, at the restaurant's counter.

"And that's Ghost mauling the snowman Arya had built for Bran. She was furious at him."

_Ghost?_

Dany whipped her head back, staring at the man standing in line, showing something on his phone to a shorter man, who was standing beside him.

Navy and white uniform, a pilot's cap under his arm and jet-black hair.

Her heart gave a _thud_. Because she was certain it was him. She recognized the Northern lilt of his voice, she had heard it countless times over the radio after all. _Captain Jon Snow._ In the flesh.

Before she could think better of it, she blurted out, "Captain Snow?"

Both men turned to look at her.

She glanced at the person standing next to him first. She saw the single stripe on his cap. First-officer. He was round-faced and plump and wore a friendly, if a tad confused, expression.

Then she slid her eyes to Captain Snow.

And her heart skipped a beat.

Because the man staring at her with curious steel-gray eyes, was definitely Captain Jon Snow. And he looked very different than in his picture.

The face was still attractive, very much so. But while his photo showed a smooth jaw and smoother face, the man standing in front of her was sporting a trim beard. There were also scars that weren't there before. Two faint marks, one on his cheek, one crossing his left eye. Far from marring his appearance, they gave him a more daredevil appearance. Far sexier than she ever thought scars could be.

The hair, which used to be closely cropped military-style, was now longer. Lush dark curls carelessly bound by an elastic at the back of his neck.

And his eyes. A picture could never convey the look of them properly. They color reminded her of thunderclouds on the horizon. They were wearing a curious expression at the moment, but she could see something else below the surface. Like a spark. Something darker, dangerous.

Something that could be lit and turned to an inferno.

"Uh," said Captain Snow, "Do I know you?"

She blinked, breaking the spell she was seemingly under. She smiled faintly, "In a way. I once inquired if you lived in a haunted mansion... Captain."

She saw the realization hit him, his eyes widening slightly. He breathed out a chuckle. The sound sent a shiver down her spine for some unknown reason.

"You're the ATC," he said, a smile gracing his lips.

She inclined her head in acknowledgment, "Daenerys Targaryen."

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Dany didn't know what it was, but the air around them seemed to develop an electric quality all of a sudden. She could almost feel the crackle.

The man standing next to him cleared his throat and stepped forward, offering his hand for a shake.

"Sam Tarly, pleased to meet you," he said with a polite smile.

She shook the proffered hand. The tension diffused somewhat. Jon Snow also stepped forward, extending his arm. The first touch of his hand on hers sent something like a shock down her spine. The skin of her hand still tingled when he stepped back.

"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Targaryen," he said.

_That voice._

Dany shook her head, "Dany. Please, captain."

"Jon," he corrected her, a smile quirking his lips now.

"Jon."

She was staring again. Unable to will her eyes to slide away from his. What the hells was wrong with her?

Next to them, Sam cleared his throat again, loudly, "You know what, Jon? I think I'll take my pizza to go. Gilly loves these, she'll be happy to join me for dinner."

"Wha-? Yes, of course," Jon tore his eyes away from her, giving a quick pat to Sam's shoulder, "see you next week."

Sam nodded and tipped his hat to her, "Miss Targaryen." And then he collected his pizza and left.

After a few awkward seconds, Captain Snow, _Jon_ , she reminded herself, took another step closer, "May I join you?"

She gestured to the seat in front of her, "Please."

He took his own plate and drink from the counter and came to sit in front of her.

"Just landed?" asked Dany, nibbling on the edge of her pizza.

"Shouldn't you know that? You're the one who works in the control tower," he teased, taking a bite out of his own pizza.

Dany rolled her eyes with a smile, "I've had about 60 landings at the last hour alone, I don't actually memorize the schedule, you know."

He chuckled, a glint in his eye.

"So where are you coming from?" she asked.

"Dorne," he smiled, "A short trip this time."

"What's your usual route?" she inquired. If she recalled correctly, he usually arrived from Europe. But she thought it would sound weird and stalker-y to tell him she remembered his flights.

"Europe, mostly," he said, taking a long swig out of his beer before continuing, "Sometimes the Summer Islands when I'm lucky."

Dany smiled, feeling her cheeks heat up imagining him sprawled on a beach, pale skin kissed by the sun.

"Not many chances for sun-tanning, sadly," he said, as if he had an inkling where her thoughts ventured to, "usually just enough time to rest before going back," he shook his head ruefully.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I do a lot less traveling than you do," she said teasingly, "so I wouldn't complain if I were you."

He chuckled again, his eyes focusing on her like a laser beam. She was struck again by how attractive he was. She'd been tracing her eyes over him whenever he dropped his gaze momentarily to his food or drink. And she liked everything she saw. From his lush cupid's bow upper lip to his muscled biceps, clearly outlined through his uniform.

She briefly wondered what else was hiding under the pressed uniform, feeling heat pool in her stomach at the thought. She was curious whether he found her attractive as well.

She was not naive. She knew she was attractive. The reactions she got from men were evidence enough, but... she couldn't quite figure him out. His gaze was polite and even, leveled on her eyes. But there was that dark spark in them that made shivers run down her spine.

She looked up just in time to catch him glancing away from her lips. She bit her lip, suppressing a smile. _So he does like what he sees..._

It was as though something passed between them then. As if they both could feel the palpable tension in the air, the mutual attraction.

He cleared his throat slightly, "So what does the rest of your evening entail?" he asked, his eyes once again focused on hers.

 _Oh!_ She suddenly remembered she was most likely due back at the tower soon. She glanced at her watch quickly and swore under her breath.

"I actually have to get back to the tower in a minute," she said regretfully, "my break is almost over."

He nodded. He opened his mouth again to speak when her phone starting buzzing insistingly. She sent him an apologetic glance and answered it.

It was Brienne, up at the tower.

"You better come in here asap," she said grimly, "we have an emergency."

She got up immediately, hastily gathering her things.

"I'm sorry, I have to head back," she said hurriedly, her mind already running through different scenarios, wondering what on earth could be happening.

He stood up, "Of course, don't let me keep you."

With another apologetic glance his way, she turned and hurried back to the tower.

  


✈✈✈

  


Running out of the elevator, Dany ripped the door open to find a small group of people clustered around Brienne, who had her hands over her headset, cupping it close to her ears.

"What's happening?" asked Dany hurriedly.

"Pilot just declared an emergency right after departure," reported Brienne, "the radio connection is faulty, I'm having trouble understanding him."

"Flight?"

"HornHill 1270."

"Let me."

Brienne stepped aside, letting Dany take her place and the headset. Making sense out of broken radio communication was Dany's specialty. 

  
_CT: HornHill 1270 please repeat the nature of your emergency.  
  
Pilot: HornHill 1270-_

  
There was some crackle on the radio. Dany could hear agitated voices in the background. 

  
_Pilot: HornHill 1270 declaring an emergency, need to return to field immediately!  
  
CT: Copy that 1270, describe the nature of your emergency.  
  
Pilot: A door flew off the aircraft!  
  
CT: Say again 1270 a door flew off the aircraft?  
  
Pilot: Affirmative._

  
Dany could hear people around her exclaiming, but she ignored everything except the pilot's voice in her ear. She switched to the shortened call name to save time as was protocol during emergencies. 

  
_CT: 1270 climb and maintain 2600.  
  
Pilot: 2600 1270.  
  
CT: 1270 report level 2600.  
  
Pilot: 1270, uhh- we're having trouble climbing, can you just send us back?_

  
Dany glanced at the radar and the screen in front of her, checking the flights currently on the runway. Landing him right now would be tricky. 

  
_CT: Roger 1270. You have to climb to minimum vectoring altitude.  
  
Pilot: 1270 we have clouds around. We're trying to climb, it's not going well._

  
The pilot was getting more and more agitated, undoubtedly fearing he wouldn't be able to hold the aircraft. She would have to clear him to land asap. 

  
_CT: 1270 turn left heading of 090.  
  
Pilot: 090 1270.  
  
CT: 1270 report the airport in sight. It's at 2 o'clock in 7 miles. Turn left heading 070.  
  
Pilot: 1270 we have the airport in sight._

  
Dany tapped the colorful squares on the screen swiftly, pushing them around. She fired a few instructions through the radio, informing two flights about to land that their approach clearance was canceled. She managed to clear a runway in record time. 

  
_CT: 1270 Roger. You have approach clearance, head to 28R.  
  
_Pilot: Roger approach clearance, heading to 28R 1270.  
  
_ _

__

__

  
Dany punched furiously at the keyboard, opening the flight manifest. 10 personnel, 100 passengers.

"Brienne, call ground, get two ambulances and a fire truck to wait for them on Charlie, now, please," she called out, eyes still glued to the screen.

"On it," came Brienne's answer from behind her shoulder.

Everybody watched with bated breath. Finally, after a few minutes that felt like an eternity, the pilot's voice came through the radio again. 

  
_Pilot: 1270 is shutdown. We're evacuating passengers.  
  
CT: Roger 1270. Rescue vehicles are coming to you.  
_

  
Dany took her headset off, breathing a sigh of relief. Around her, her coworkers cheered.

"Alright, guys," she smiled, "let's get back to it."

She leaned back, stretching slightly, allowing herself a moment to savor the win. She then snapped the headset back on, feeling the flood of adrenaline wash over her again.

  


✈✈✈

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Westeros is a continent on earth in this story. Because.
> 
> (Also, if you noticed any issues with the linebreaks, do forgive me. I've just spent like 40 min dicking with them and I'm so tirrred.)


	2. Cruising Altitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Control Tower: CLA190 where are you heading to?_
> 
> _Pilot: ClA190 heading to Kilo-Echo._
> 
> _CT: That's not a choice CLA190. Foxtrot and Golf are the only options._  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all,
> 
> First of all, I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to you guys for all the love the first chapter got. All of you who kudos'd / commented / liked or reblogged, you really make a girl write more <3
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one, it's a bit different from the first as most of it is taking place away from the airport. There will be more transcript goodies next chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!

  
Dany woke up with a start, sweaty and flustered. She sat up, her face in her hands, and groaned loudly. She was dreaming about him again. The sweaty kind of dream. The kind where she woke up aroused and frustrated.

She was somewhat miffed with her subconscious for conjuring naked images of Jon Snow in her mind while she was asleep. So she spoke with him countless times over the radio and met him once. And he was handsome and nice to talk to and there was definitely some mutual attraction there, but...

But _what?_ her mind challenged her.

She laid back down, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Maybe she ought to just get it over with. Find out when he's coming back to town and just... do her usual thing when she had an itch she couldn't scratch. 

Take him back to her place and fuck his brains out for a night. She was fairly confident he would be receptive to that. Then she would just kick him out, he would be out of her system and the ridiculous dreams would stop.

Problem solved.

She had the resources to find out when he was coming back to town after all, she might as well utilize them.

Resolving to try and salvage what was left of her night's sleep, Dany wrapped the sheets around herself and closed her eyes.

Sleep did not come easily.

  


✈✈✈

  


_**King's Landing International Airport, Thursday 1200** _

_  
Control Tower: CLA190 where are you heading to?  
  
Pilot: ClA190 heading to Kilo-Echo.  
  
CT: That's not a choice CLA190. Foxtrot and Golf are the only options.  
  
Pilot: Uhh, sorry, I meant Kilo-Foxtrot CLA190.  
  
CT: Roger CLA190, that's the good one._

  
Dany restlessly chewed her bottom lip, trying to avoid glancing at the clock again. She'd been doing that so often the past hour that Missandei raised her eyebrow at her, jokingly asking if she had somewhere else she needed to be.

Dany had snapped her eyes back to her screen then, hoping the blush on her cheeks was not obvious. She had less than 15 minutes to go until her break and she was anxious for it to start.

She had something important she needed to do.

At 12:15 sharp, Dany sprung up from her seat, moving aside to let another ATC take over. She grabbed her purse and made her way out the door, trying not to appear as though she was in a hurry, lest she drew Missy's attention to her peculiar behavior again.

She went to the cafe down at the terminal to grab a sandwich and a bottle of juice and made her way back to the tower. She took a seat at a console in the corner, away from the action.

She distractedly nibbled on her sandwich as her fingers swiftly typed at the keyboard, going over the incoming flight schedule.

She quickly set the filters she wanted, looking for Northern Airlines flights. She found one, arriving from Essos two days from now at 20:15. Her heart hammered as she clicked the button to open the flight manifest. Captain Robb Stark. Nope. She clicked the window closed and kept searching.

After a few more minutes of intensive search, she found what she was looking for.

Captain Jon Snow was scheduled to land at KLA in one week, arriving from London. A long-distance flight, as he said was his usual. 

The scheduled landing time was 19:15. Perfect. It would be an entirely appropriate time to invite him to an impromptu dinner. And if the looks he gave her last time they'd met was any indication, he would most likely accept.

Unless... it was a 12-hour flight. What if he'd be too tired?

Dany shook her head in frustration. "Don't overthink it," she mumbled to herself under her breath. He would accept or decline, she had no control over it. And the sooner she got it done, the better so she could get back to her usual, albeit bad, sleeping patterns. At least she wouldn't be woken by frustrating dreams.

"Overthink what?" she heard a voice behind her and hastily clicked the manifest window closed. She turned to find Missandei staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing," she said hastily, getting up from the console and going to pour herself some awful coffee from the carafe in the corner. She had about 10 minutes left before the end of her break.

"Ugh, I don't know how you can drink that sludge," said Missy with a shudder, clutching her giant tea mug.

Dany shrugged, "It's either that or more hours of sleep," she said wrily, "and coffee is easier."

Missy's gaze softened. She gently squeezed Dany's hand, not saying a word. She wouldn't dare say anything about Dany's sleeping woes in the tower, within earshot of their colleagues, but Dany knew she understood. There was a silent question in her friend's brown eyes.

Dany shrugged non-committedly, taking a sip from the mug and trying not to make a face.

When the time to resume her shift came, she took her seat, pulling her headset on with a renewed vigor. Her spirits had somewhat lifted now that she knew that Captain Snow would be back in town soon.

And she just might get what she wants from him.  


  


_Pilot: Control, ValeJet 177, we're ready for takeoff.  
  
CT: I appreciate your enthusiasm, ValeJet 177 but you are currently 9th in line for departure. You'll have to hold for a little while longer.  
  
Pilot: Roger that, holding ValeJet 177.  
  
_

  


✈✈✈

  


Dany drummed her fingers nervously on the table, sipping at her second caramel latte. She didn't usually go for the sugary drinks, but the combination of caffeine and sugar helped fortify her resolve.

She was sitting at a cafe, right at the heart of the exit hall. Captain Snow's flight had landed about 10 minutes ago. Barring anything unusual happening, he would be out shortly.

She bit her lip, glancing at the arrival board for what felt like the hundredth time. NAL 1689 was clearly marked as LANDED in big bold green letters. The pneumatic doors of the arrival hall opened and closed periodically, admitting noisy hoards of passengers. Some were dragging huge suitcases while some had only a backpack or a handbag. 

Her eyes searched through the hustle and bustle of the hall for one specific figure.

_There._

Her heart gave a nervous lurch. Captain Snow was walking down the entrance hall, dragging that small trolley behind him that all air personnel seemed to favor. He had his pilot's cap clutched in his hand. Some errant curls had escaped the bun at the back of his neck and were dancing over his forehead and temple. He looked even more handsome than she remembered and she could feel her nervousness mounting.

There was some blonde walking next to him. NAL flight-attendant, judging by the uniform. She had the longest legs Dany had ever seen in her life. She was twirling a lock of her honey-blonde hair around her finger, sending a flirtatious smile towards Jon.

Dany could feel dread rising in her stomach. With all her plans and preparations, she forgot to consider the very real possibility that he might have a girlfriend. She mentally kicked herself, clutching the paper cup in her hand so hard that it was in danger of spilling. But then they drew closer and she heard him speak.

"Thank you, Val, but I'd rather not," he said in a mild tone, not even looking at the blonde, whose smile turned into a scowl. At that exact moment, he spotted her and a smile spread across his face.

"Miss Targaryen," he said, making his way towards her, "on a break again?"

"Captain," she smiled, tilting her head to give him a coy look, "actually, no. I'm done for the day."

The scowling blonde next to him cleared her throat, trying to draw his attention back to herself. He glanced at her, "Have a good evening, Val, I'll see you onboard in two weeks." It was a clear dismissal and Dany felt just a little bit less nervous than before.

He then turned his gaze back to Dany and the blonde walked away with a grimace. Dany thought she heard her mutter, " _Aye aye, captain,_ " under her breath as she strode away, heels clicking loudly on the floor.

"Where are you headed?" she asked, placing her half-full coffee cup on the table and pushing it aside.

"Home," he smiled, "I have a whole day's break before my next flight." 

He studied her for a moment. She saw that spark in his eyes again. Dark, hungry, exciting.

She swallowed. It was now or never.

"In that case... I was wondering whether you would like to join me for dinner," she said slowly, "I did run out on you last time, so you can consider it an apology," she gave him a flirty smile of her own.

She could see the interest sparking in his eyes. 

"No apologies necessary," he said, "but I'd love to." 

He seemed pleased, but not surprised. He must have dozens of women falling all over him on a regular basis, she thought, with those eyes and lips and the clearly defined muscles... and a pilot to boot. 

That alone would bring all the girls to the yard. _Why am I even thinking those things?_

She smiled back, getting up from her seat to walk slowly alongside him, "alright, then."

"Uh- let me just change out of these," he gestured at his pilot's uniform. She nodded and he turned to the men's room, dragging his trolley behind him. 

He emerged a few minutes later, wearing a dark gray button-down shirt, the exact color of his eyes, and black jeans. He somehow looked even more breathtaking in casual clothing. She tried not to stare at how well the jeans molded to his narrow hips. She did manage to steal a covert glance at his arse when he turned to zip up his trolley. _Wow._

She hastened to bring her eyes back to his face when he straightened and gave her a smile.

"Lead the way then, Dany." She loved how her name sounded in a husky Northern accent.

"Another pizza?" she suggested. There weren't a whole lot of options for fine dining at the airport. The pickings were rather slim.

"Actually... I have a better idea," he said, arching an eyebrow in her direction, a challenge shining in his eyes, "if you're feeling brave enough to leave the airport and face the outside world, that is."

 _Oh, you're on, Captain._ "I am."

"I'm afraid you'll have to drive, though," he said apologetically, "no car here. And the ATCs tend to get upset when I take the plane out on the road."

Dany giggled, "I know. Stiff bunch, those. No worries, follow me."

They made their way out of the airport building and into the parking lot. 

Dany took a deep breath of the evening air, which felt slightly chilly but crisp and refreshing after being stuck indoors all day and breathing the stale recycled air of the control tower.

They walked through the parking lot to Dany's car, which was parked at the marked area reserved for airport personnel.

Jon tossed his trolley in the trunk and they both got in, fastening their seatbelts.

Dany started the car and slowly pulled out.

"So where are we heading?" she questioned.

"Just downtown. I'll guide you when we get closer."

" _You_ guiding _me_ for a change, I like it." He gave her a teasing smile and she felt a nervous excitement fluttering in her stomach.

They drove through the evening traffic, which thankfully wasn't very heavy.

The chattered idly about his flight, her workday, and the weather as they made their way. Dany couldn't keep herself from stealing glances at him whenever possible. He was quite pleasing to the eye.

She was quite pleased to spot him doing the same.

  


✈✈✈

  


Dany navigated the car into downtown KL, slowing down in the heavier traffic. Jon instructed her to take a turn off the main road and into a quieter street. They parked at the curbside and Dany turned off the engine. She looked around in confusion. As far as she could tell, there was no restaurant in sight.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" she asked, perplexed, "Or did you bring me here to murder me?" she teased.

He quirked a smile, chuckling, "I promise you, you're perfectly safe."

He led her down the street to a building with a plain brown facade. There was a painted number on the door and some runic inscription underneath. He opened it and they stepped inside.

It was an old Northern-style restaurant. A tiny one. There was a counter with only six seats for customers. The person who appeared to be the chef had spotted Jon and gave him a traditional bow.

Jon smiled, inclining his head respectfully in lieu of bowing back.

"Dany, meet Anthor, the best Northern-chef south of Winterfell."

He turned to the man and, to her amazement, said a few words in a foreign language. It sounded like Old Tongue. The man nodded and smiled in return.

She turned to him, "You speak the Old Tongue?" she asked. He was full of surprises, it seemed.

He made a face, "Not really. Just the basics. Anthor is polite enough not to scoff at my accent."

They took a seat by the bar. Dany glanced around, slightly confused. There didn't seem to be any menus in sight.

Understanding her puzzlement, Jon leaned towards her and murmured in her ear, "No menus here. The chef decides what to make for you." His breath was warm on her ear and she shivered. She had never experienced this before. Getting so affected by a man just by being physically close to him.

A short time later, their food arrived. The chef slid two plates with identical contents in front of the two of them.

Dany murmured her thanks and heard Jon do the same.

The food mainly consisted of bits of raw fish with unidentifiable streams of sauce drizzled artfully on them. She shrugged and tried one.

 _Oh._ That was good. So much better than she expected. The fish was so fresh it tasted as though it jumped out of the White Knife river moments before. And the small touch of sauce, which had a flavor faintly resembling mustard, was a perfect companion to it.

"What do you think?" asked Jon quietly next to her.

"It's pretty amazing," she admitted, granting him a bright smile, which he returned.

The conversation flowed easily. Dany regaled him with stories of some of the more bizarre incidents she had as an ATC.

"We actually had a pilot forgetting his wallet in the cockpit one time," she giggled, remembering, "we had to send a vehicle to pick it up from the pilot on the next flight," she chewed her bottom lip, "actually... I think it was a NAL pilot."

Jon laughed, the husky quality of his laughter causing her stomach to feel as if it were full of something warm and melting, "Let me guess..." he said, "Captain Stark?"

"Hmm... yes, I believe it was," she laughed, "how did you know?"

"He's notoriously forgetful. Give the guy a yoke and he's a machine, but as soon as the plane is parked, he'd forget his own head." 

His smile caused crinkles to appear at the corner of his eyes. They were adorable. "And he's also my cousin," he added.

"Oh?" Dany raised her eyebrows, "two pilots in the same family, huh?"

"Three, actually," he said, "My cousin Arya, Robb's sister, is a test pilot."

"A test pilot, huh," Dany shook her head smiling, "I always thought all test pilots were, well..."

"Insane?" Jon completed her thought, his tone amused.

Dany laughed, shaking her head again, hoping she wasn't offending him by speaking of his cousin that way, "Well, I'm not sure _insane_ is the word..." she hesitated, but continued when she saw the amused and relaxed look on his face, "ok, yes, insane is quite accurate."

Test pilots often had to fly aircraft that went through accidents in order to stress-test them and reveal underlying problems. It was a dangerous job.

"Aye, Arya has always been a wild one," Jon smiled, something sweet passing over his face when he spoke of his cousin. Dany guessed they were pretty close, "but despite her career of choice, she doesn't have a death-wish."

Jon then told her of some of the weirdest flights he piloted. Apparently, passengers asking to open the windows was a regular occurrence.

"Fortunately, the flight attendants are good about handling crazy requests most of the time," he shook his head with a smile, "every now and then we have a passenger making such a fuss that I have to intervene."

At the end of the meal, Dany tapped her foot on one of the rungs of the chair, feeling suddenly nervous.

She knew what she wanted to do, but she was feeling suddenly jittery about it. Her previous one-night stands were so simple. Get off, get out. But this, Jon, somehow felt anything but simple.

Sensing her nervousness, Jon touched her arm gently, "Drinks?" he offered.

"Sure," she said, relieved. Some liquid courage was just what she needed. She tried to ignore the way her skin tingled at his touch. _Get a grip, Dany._

She was about to reach for her wallet but Jon waved her off, pulling out his own card and handing it to the chef. She smiled at him in thanks.

After thanking Anthor (which Dany learned as also the owner), they stepped out of the tiny bar and back to the cold night air.

"There's a place just around the corner," Jon suggested, "we can walk."

She agreed with a nod, a mixture of nervousness and excitement bubbling in her gut.

  


✈✈✈

  


They walked together down the street. A chilly breeze was blowing and Dany shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. A moment later she felt an arm wrap carefully around her shoulders. A wave of heat hit her, generated by his proximity alone.

"Better?" he questioned in a murmur.

She nodded, "Thanks," she said, a tad breathless. It was a heady sensation, his arm around her. She longed to know what his body would feel like, pressed close to hers, preferably naked. 

It won't be long now. She could feel it in the air around them.

They walked quickly down the street until they reached a sort of a pub at the corner of the street. The garish neon sign above the entrance read _The Wildling_.

Dany wrinkled her nose at the name, "A bit insensitive, isn't it?" A 'Wildling' was a somewhat derogatory nickname for the Free Folk- the tribe of people living beyond the wall that marked the northern border of Westeros.

Jon barked a laugh, "The owner is a former free-folk. He thinks it's funny. Come on," he squeezed her shoulder gently and led her inside.

The inside of the pub was dark save for the colorful lights flashing on the crowded dancefloor. Music was blaring through huge speakers, the bass was heavy enough to make the walls shake. Almost. It must have been a popular place as it was full of people. 

Jon removed his arm from her shoulders and grabbed her hand instead, leading her to the bar. Before she could marvel at the electric feeling of his hand in hers, he pulled it out, waving at someone on the other side of the bar.

"Tormund!"

The man raised his head from the giant mug he was currently filling with ale to squint at Jon.

"CROW!" He bellowed. He handed the mug to the person in front of him and strode over to them, ignoring other patrons who were impatiently attempting to catch his eye.

Dany stared as the man reached a giant arm across the bar to forcefully pat Jon on the shoulder. He was tall and broad and had a wild ginger beard and mustache.

"Been a while, crow," he yelled over the background noise, blinking bright blue eyes at Jon, grinning at him widely.

Jon chuckled, "Aye, it's been a while, been busy with work."

"So what brings you to my fine establishment this evening?" the man, Tormund, suddenly spotted her, standing by Jon's side, "Well well well, captain, what have we here?"

"This is Daenerys," Jon made the introductions, "she works at the control tower in KLA. Dany, this is Tormund, the owner and an old friend."

"Nice to meet you," Dany half-shouted over the loud music, reaching her hand over the bar. It was shaken so vigorously that it was in danger of getting yanked right out of its socket.

"Tormund Giantsbane, nice to meet ya," yelled the giant, "so what do you see in the ole' captain here?" his smile was mischievous as he winked at Jon, who just rolled his eyes at him.

Dany smiled, giving Jon an appraising look.

"I don't know yet, I'm still making up my mind," she said back, giving Jon a teasing smile. He quirked a smile back, shaking his head in mock-exasperation.

Tormund roared in laughter, "I like her, Crow. She's funny. Much nicer than the other one. She was rude."

 _The other one?_ Dany's smiled flickered, wondering who Tormund was talking about.

"How about some drinks, Tormund?" Jon's voice penetrated through the temporary fog in her mind.

"What can I get ya, Crow? On the house."

"Just ale for me and..." Jon looked at her with a questioning look

"Surprise me," she told Tormund, who smiled appreciatively.

"As you wish, m'lady." Tormund walked off, returning a moment later with their drinks. He placed a giant mug in front of Jon and a fancy cocktail glass for her, complete with a lurid pink umbrella.

"The house cocktail," he said proudly, "enjoy!" He then walked off to serve some other customers.

She took a careful sip. It was quite strong but good otherwise. She thought she detected a hint of cranberry hiding under all the alcohol.

"So how toxic is it?" enquired Jon next to her, turning to look at her, beer mug in hand, leaning against the bar.

Dany laughed, "It's not half bad, actually, quite strong though, I think I'll just stick to one tonight if I am not to crash the car on the way home."

"Sounds like a good idea," he replied, taking a long sip from his mug.

They drank in silence for a few moments. They had moved away from the bar, standing by a high table in one of the corners. The music was marginally less loud there.

Dany, who was feeling nervous and still a bit frazzled about Tormund's comment, cast her mind about, trying to find a safe topic to discuss.

"So how did you come to fly for NAL?" she asked finally, absently fiddling with the umbrella in her drink.

He braced his elbows in the table, leaning a bit closer so she could hear him better, "I used to fly for the airforce," he said, "The Night's Watch. After I was discharged, civilian aviation seemed like the obvious next step," he shrugged, "my cousin was already working for NAL at the time, he suggested I join him."

"Ah, yes," she smiled in remembrance, "the forgetful one."

Jon smiled, lifting his mug to his lips for another sip, "That's him."

"So..." she said, "The Night's Watch, huh?" 

The Night's Watch was an elite squad within the Westerosi Air Force. This explained why Tormund called Jon a "Crow", she thought. This was the nickname given to pilots in the Night's Watch since all the fighter jets were painted midnight-black and their emblem was of a crow with its wings spread.

"Aye. Twelve years, including pilot's training."

Dany nodded thoughtfully, "Is that how you met Tormund? In the military?"

He frowned into his ale, "Something like that."

It felt like he was reluctant to discuss the subject so she decided to drop it. He raised his eyes from his mug, eyes fixed back on hers.

"How about you?" he inquired, "How did you become an ATC?"

She shrugged, "Not a thrilling tale, I'm afraid. I studied Aeronautics at KLU, but manufacturing was not for me. Just before graduation, I saw an ad for ATC training and applied. That's about it."

He nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on her face, looking thoughtful.

His intense gaze started making her feel hot under the collar. "What?" she finally asked, after another small sip from her cocktail.

He shook his head, "Nothing. Just..."

"Just...?"

He quirked a smile, "You're a senior ATC, aren't you?" he hesitated, "You seem... young for a senior position in the tower."

She smiled, "Maybe I'm good at my job, captain," she said teasingly.

"I know you are," he said, leaning a tad closer, his breath warm on her face, "I've dealt with many ATCs over the last couple of years, I can tell."

His compliment pleased her, but she tried not to show it. Instead, she turned her head slightly, to stare right into his eyes, "And how do you know I'm a senior ATC?" She quirked an eyebrow up in question. She knew she had never mentioned anything like that to him before.

He bowed his head, a smile playing at his lips, "I may have asked around about you."

"Oh, have you?" she murmured back, feeling the tension between them crackle, "and why's that?"

He glanced away momentarily. She thought she could detect a faint pink flush creeping from under his beard. But it was hard to tell in the flashing lights of the club.

"Dance with me?" he suddenly asked.

She carefully placed her glass back on the table and took his proferred hand. His fingers were warm and rough around hers. 

Together, they headed towards the dancefloor.

  


✈✈✈

  


They came to stand face to face, the lights flashing around them. After a second's hesitation, Jon's arm reached forward, curling around her waist, pulling her close.

Dany felt her pulse pick up speed, the tension between them turning as thick as molasses. She linked her arms at the back of his neck, pressing closer to him.

The music blared around them. It was a crazy mix of covers of classic rock songs, recent chart-toppers, and screaming metal numbers. 

They were more swaying than dancing, bodies close. Dany could feel the heat rising, she could feel the bass thumping alongside her heartbeat. She brought her hand to play with the curls at the nape of his neck. They were silky smooth under her fingers. 

She chanced a glance up at him just to find his eyes, now darker in color, fixed on her face, his lips slightly parted. Feeling emboldened, her fingers trailed sideways to lightly touch his bearded jaw. She could feel his sharp intake of breath when they traveled further, tracing slow patterns against the hard muscles of his chest, through his shirt.

His hands tightened around her waist and her eyes landed on his lips. Dany could feel her hand tremble slightly against his chest. She wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. She longed to know what his lips would feel like against her own. The urge was becoming stronger, pulsing in her veins.

She wasn't sure if it was her inching closer to him or maybe it was him. Tipping his head, his breath warm, fluttering just a breath away from her lips. She couldn't take it anymore. With a bold forward movement, she closed the gap between them, sealing their lips together.

The first touch of his mouth on hers felt like an electric current was passing from his lips straight to hers. His lips were soft, his kiss unyielding. Almost possessive. Dany gasped a little, fisting her hands in his shirt, pulling him closer.

The kiss deepened, their tongues touching, first hesitantly and then boldly, tangling with each other. Dany tried her hardest not to moan. His hands were now pressing into the small of her back, pulling her flush against him, his head tilting to kiss her deeper still.

They both broke apart at the same moment, flushed and gasping for breath. They spent a few moments looking at each other until Jon tipped his head down, bringing his lips to her ear.

"Want to get out of here?" She was pleased to note he sounded breathless. At least she was not the only one so deeply affected.

She just nodded mutely and he threaded his fingers with hers. After a quick wave to Tormund who winked back at them, Jon pulled her out the door and into the chilly night air. She could barely feel the cold with his fingers in hers, heat raging inside of her.

They walked quickly, silently, heading back towards the car. When they finally reached it, Jon suddenly spun her around, pressing her back to the cold metal. His mouth descended on hers in a deep, hungry kiss. This time she couldn't contain her moan, kissing him back forcefully.

He wrenched his lips away to breathe against her lips, "Come home with me."

Dany bit her lip. She was sorely tempted but... "My place," she murmured instead, leaning close to scrape her teeth on his lower lip. He gave a quick nod and they finally made it into the car.

Dany pulled on the seatbelt with trembling fingers.

She suddenly felt his hand pressing softly against her forearm. "You ok to drive?" he asked quietly.

She smiled, "It takes more than one cocktail, Captain," she teased, "I'm perfectly sober." She was a bit light-headed, to be truthful, but she knew it had nothing to do with the alcohol in her system.

With that, she started the car and directed it into the city traffic. She could barely remember navigating the car to her street, consumed with thoughts of what was about to take place. She could feel herself quivering with anticipation.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye while she drove, seeing that dark spark in his eyes again.

She couldn't wait to light that spark on fire and let it burn.

  


✈✈✈

  


_White shirt now red  
My bloody nose_

They somehow made it out of the car and into the building, forgoing the lift to take the stairs instead. It took her two tries to fit the key into the lock, her fumbling fingers nearly dropping it in their haste. The door finally opened.

They wasted no time as soon as the door closed behind them. Jon's mouth was on hers in a split-second, kissing her more deeply and thoroughly than before. She moaned into his mouth, her fingers already busy with the buttons at his shirt. They proved more of a challenge than she expected.

She broke the kiss to try to force the buttons through the button-holes, groaning in frustration. She finally gave up and with a fleeting glance at his eyes, clutched the fabric in both hands, ripping it apart.

The buttons popped, rolling on the floor in all directions. She remembered doing it to Daario once. He had shrieked that the shirt was expensive and _what the hells was she doing_. Needless to say, it completely ruined the mood.

But Jon didn't seem to give a fuck. On the contrary, his eyes darkened to the color of basalt as she pushed the now-ruined shirt off his shoulders. She was surprised to see the ink decorating his arm and shoulder. He had some kind of beast, a wolf perhaps, tattooed on his arm and a black crow on his shoulder. She could also see the faint outline of scars, crisscrossing his chest.

She had no time to give them a second thought when Jon pulled her to him, tugging at the edge of her blouse. She raised her arms and, in a flash, it was stripped off of her, landing somewhere on the floor.

  


_Sleepin'  
You're on your tippy toes_

  


He groaned when he gazed upon her nearly naked upper body, clad only in her new black lace bra. One that cost an outrageous amount of gold dragons for something containing so little fabric. The look in his eyes made it worth every last bit of gold spent. 

She bit her lower lip and gave him a sultry look. A challenge. _Come and get me._

And he did. He pressed closer again, kissing her hard, his hands roaming down her body. Every spot his hands touched felt like a lick of fire on her bare skin. His hands were at her skirt, tugging the zipper down until it dropped to the floor. He took a moment to admire her matching black lace panties, running a finger over them in appreciation. She gasped at the touch of his finger so close to where she wanted him most. The panties hit the floor as well, carelessly kicked to the side.

She was standing there in front of him, bare except for her skimpy bra.

  


_Creepin'  
around like no one knows_

  


She hadn't noticed but he was slowly pushing her backward until her legs came into contact with the table by the entrance. A moment later, she was sitting on it and he was standing between her splayed knees, his mouth trailing down to her neck.

His mouth fastened on a spot on her neck that made her shiver and gasp audibly. She jerked in surprise when she felt his teeth briefly sink into it, feeling sweet sharp pain morphing into pleasure, moving like a bolt of lightning through her body.

"Gods," she gasped, consumed by the heady sensation. she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer. He groaned when she rubbed against him. She could feel his stiff length against her. His mouth moved lower, fastening on her breast through her bra. She could feel his lips, then his teeth, closing around her nipple in a gentle bite. Her head fell back, mouth open in pleasure.

  


_Think you're so criminal_

  


She pulled his head up to kiss him again, their teeth gnashing, kissing messily.

She dug her fingernails into his bare shoulders, leaving half-moon indentations on his skin. She had the insane urge to mark him. She wanted him to remember her, remember this night for a long time after. He groaned again, catching her errant hands in his, breathing hard, pulling away for a moment.

His eyes, dark as night now, stared into hers.

He leaned closer to breathe against her lips, "Lie back."

Then he released her hands and knelt on the floor, hands pressing into her thighs, bringing her closer.

  


_Bruises on both my knees for you_

  


The first touch of his tongue between her legs made her back arch. She gingerly laid back on the table, lifting on her elbows with an effort, watching him.

His eyes were fixed on hers as he pressed closer, licking and tasting. Moving expertly from one spot to the next, causing currents of need to rush through her body. She squirmed, needing more. She could feel him smile against her skin as he complied with her silent demand.

  


_Don't say thank you or please  
I do what I want when I'm wanting to_

  


There was nothing gentle about it. He dove right in, with lips and tongue and teeth. And his fingers. Clever, wicked fingers that seemed to know exactly where and how to touch to elicit the most pleasurable sensations, making her body drop back down to the table, her hands buried in his hair.

She gasped and moaned and arched her back. She held on to his hair, yanking hard until he groaned, pressing his tongue even deeper inside her. And then it hit her like a brick, coming out of nowhere. An intense heatwave that engulfed her body and made her scream. Her body twitched and convulsed, riding the wave until it left her sweaty and shivering.

  


_My soul? So cynical_

  


She rose up on shaky arms, her hands in his hair, pulling his mouth to hers again to press another kiss to his lips.

"Bedroom," she breathed against his mouth, "down the hall."

Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her easily. She wrapped her legs around him as they stumbled towards the bedroom.

_I'm the bad guy_

  


✈✈✈

  


_I like it when you take control  
Even if you know that you don't  
Own me, I'll let you play the role_

They fell upon the bed together, clawing at each others' remaining clothes like wild animals. Jon kicked off his shoes to a distant corner of the room. Dany tugged impatiently at his belt, fingers busily pulling at it until it opened. His jeans were soon to follow. She grasped the edges of his underwear with both hands and pulled them off until he was lying beside her, naked as on the day he was born.

She glanced downwards, eyes widening slightly. 

_Why, Captain Snow... who knew you were hiding THIS under your uniform._ She unconsciously licked her lips.

His deft fingers managed meanwhile to unhook her bra and toss it over his shoulder.

His eyes raked down her body, the look in them hungry, like a predator's.

"You're gorgeous," he breathed, reaching out an arm, pulling her flush against him. She moaned when their bare skin came into contact, every inch of his hard body pressed against hers. She ground her hips against him, feeling herself growing wetter with anticipation. Her pebbled nipples harshly scraped against his chest.

Their mouths joined again. She couldn't seem to stop kissing him and it seemed that he felt the same. Something about his tongue tangling with hers filled her with molten heat, like lava in her veins. 

_Need._ That's what it was. Stronger than she ever felt before. She longed to have him.

That didn't mean she couldn't play with him first, though. She wanted to free the beast in him. That wild darkness she glimpsed glinting in his eyes.

_I'll be your animal_

She rose up from where she was lying on her side, and flipped him on his back, climbing on top of him.

"Tell me, Captain Snow," she drawled, "Do they teach pilots hand-to-hand combat in the airforce?"

His lips curled into a smile as if knowing where her mind was going, "They do."

"Yeah?" she rocked her hips slightly, enjoying his sharp intake of breath, "show me." She leaned down then, grasping his wrists with her hands, pinning him to the bed.

His eyes darkened. Then, in a blink of an eye, he had her under him, his legs straddling her hips, his hands at her wrists, which he held on either side of her head, pressing her into the bed. She gasped at the sensation of his tip nudging her entrance, biting back a hungry moan.

It was hard to resist the urge to just wrap her legs around him and demand him to press into her at once. 

But she wasn't done yet.

"Well, that's hardly fair," she said, "you're stronger than me," she cocked her head, tilting her pelvis teasingly to brush against him from below, eliciting a gasp from him, "show me how."

He breathed out a chuckle, still breathing heavily.

"Well," he murmured, "you really want to avoid getting to this position in the first place, but as you're already here... the first thing you do is to pull your legs up, bend your knees," he instructed and she followed. 

She dutifully bent her legs at the knees, planting her feet on the bed. They both moaned as the movement brought their lower halves even closer together.

He was breathing hard now, fighting to maintain control.

"Good," he said, "now move your hands so that your wrists are straight above your head and a bit further to the side." He moved her wrists gently, demonstrating, his hands still clutched around them.

It was getting harder not to lose control, she was fighting it with all her might. She was enjoying this game of theirs so very much.

"And then what?" she gasped.

"Now brace your foot on the bed and tilt up your pelvis, throw me off to the side."

She moved fast, he wasn't expecting it. She brought up her pelvis suddenly and he was flipped to his side, landing flat on his back and she was kneeling between his legs, breathing hard, cheeks pink with exertion.

"How did I do?" she asked teasingly, moving so that she was straddling him again, pressing down, starting to subtly grind against him.

"Very, very well," he groaned as she continued to move against him. She could feel her control slipping. His, too. _It won't be long now..._

After a few more seconds, he finally gave an anguished groan and moved, flipping her back down under him. He knelt between her thighs, nudging them further apart, pressing his tongue into her mouth. She almost lost her head completely when she felt him starting to press into her.

He suddenly pulled back, cursing under his breath, shaking his head as if dazed. She felt a momentary confusion at his retreat but understood a second later when she saw him fumbling with the back pocket of his discarded pants, removing a foil packet from his wallet.

 _Right_. How could she forget? She had never in her life forgot about the importance of practicing safe sex. She mentally kicked herself, feeling grateful one of them had the presence of mind to remember.

She heard the packet rip open and shortly after he rolled back on top of her, pressing between her spread thighs again. She was trembling now, with need and anticipation. She raised her legs to wrap around him, heels nudging at his arse, urging him to move.

And he did. With one quick and sudden snap of his hips, he pressed inside her, pushing steadily until he was embedded all the way in.

She cried out, back arching. She bit her lip against the slight bite of pain that accompanied the intrusion.

_It's been SO long._

Jon stopped for a moment, watching her, letting her adjust.

She responded by wrapping her legs tighter around him. She clenched slightly and he groaned, "Fuck, Dany."

"Move," she breathed, already pushing against him from below.

It was as though she finally released the animal inside. With a sound that resembled a growl, he started moving. Fast, deep, almost crazed. She matched his every move, as they struggled against each other, clawing and grunting like savage beasts. The rolled back and forth a few times, switching positions, scratching and biting. Dany's head was spinning, the pleasure more acute than she ever felt before in her life.

She could feel it coming, looming over her, the pressure rising... Then she exploded, so suddenly she almost screamed, clenching and writhing around him. He was still moving, faster and harder and she could barely draw breath. He shifted slightly, subtly changing the angle, and then... he hit some magical spot deep inside of her.

This time she did scream, her back arching, toes curling, her fingernails marking his back.

She couldn't, not again, not so soon... but she did. She exploded again, seeing black spots in front of her eyes, feeling about to pass out from the pleasure. Her body clenched down hard on him and she felt him jerk, groaning as he broke apart inside of her.

He dropped on top of her, breathing hard, his arms shaking uncontrollably. Eventually, he moved, gently easing out of her. She heard him move around. He came back after a few seconds, wrapping her gently in his arms, spooning her from behind. She sighed and melted into his embrace, feeling cocooned in warmth.

That was usually the point she would sit up, make some excuse about having to wake up early, and not-so-politely show them the door. But she didn't want to, not this time. It felt so good to be in his arms. And she couldn't move even if she wanted to, feeling as though she was blacking out.

She had a last fleeting thought before falling asleep. _It had never felt this good before..._

  


✈✈✈

  


She woke again hours later, sluggish and still half-asleep. She couldn't stem the burst of need building inside her again. She reached for him, kissing his neck and chest until his eyes fluttered open, fixing on her body slithering down his.

She traced her lips down his chest and abdomen, feeling his breath catch when she ventured lower. She closed her lips around him to extract a groan from his parted lips. She could hear his breathing quicken while she was working her magic on his body, his hands fisted in the sheets.

Then he abruptly pulled her up pressed his tongue deep into her mouth as he mimicked the movement down below, drawing a long moan from her as he pressed deep into her body. 

Her addled mind noted hazily that something was different. A _really good_ kind of different. But coherent thoughts were difficult to form at the moment.

They started moving together, faster and faster until they both broke apart at the same time.

She fell down on his chest, breathing heavily, feeling sleep tugging at her again. She wouldn't mind sleeping like this, she thought vaguely, her eyes already drifting shut, pressed to his warm chest, with him still nestled inside of her... 

But after a few minutes, she felt him gently lift her off of him, pulling out and then drawing her back into his arms. Her head came to rest on his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

Dany closed her eyes and succumbed to sleep.

  


✈✈✈

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, that was that for today, hope you had fun reading!
> 
> Song credits go, of course, to Billie Eilish for [Bad Guy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyDfgMOUjCI).
> 
> And this is one of favorite covers of it, by [Halocene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UnC1TTRngs). It's awesome, give it a listen if you're into rock.


	3. Collision Course

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _CT: Sunspear 1918, are you proceeding to Tango?_
> 
> _Pilot: Yes, more or less, Sunspear 1918._
> 
> _CT: Sunspear 1918 in that case, proceed a little bit more to Tango!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again!
> 
> I meant to post this like two days ago, but my beta had some interesting insights which prompted a bit of rewriting, so it took some extra time.
> 
> Btw, if you have deep knowledge of the workings of airports and control towers, you'll notice I've taken some liberties with how things work for storytelling purposes. So just... roll with it 😅
> 
> Enjoyyyyy!

Sunlight. 

There was sunlight on her face. Dany frowned and turned her head away from the bright light, groggily wondering why the sun was up so early.

 _Wait a minute._

She opened her eyes, looking around. She was in bed, the blanket twisted around her like a cocoon. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table and her eyes widened in surprise. It was past 9:00. She never ever slept this late. Her restless mind would wake her up extremely early every single day. 

But not today.

She blinked and looked around, the events of last night coming into a sharp focus in her mind. The restaurant, the club, the long night of mind-blowing sex... _Jon._

She was alone in bed, Jon was nowhere to be seen. She glanced at the floor. His clothes were gone, too.

She tried to ignore the pang of disappointment in her chest. That's what she wanted, right? To have him for one night only. Still, she was always the one to kick them out, they never left on their own. 

But Jon Snow did, apparently.

_Wham, bam, thank you, Captain, I guess._

She stretched slowly. Her body was slightly sore from all of last night's activities. But it felt so damn _good_. She couldn't remember ever waking up feeling like this. Completely worn out but so utterly satisfied. Her muscles ached deliciously when she stretched them, the feeling resembling the one she would get after a rigorous workout. 

Only a thousand times better.

Nevertheless, she was disgruntled by his absence. She wouldn't have minded another round, for the road. One night didn't feel like enough. Not with him.

She dragged herself out of bed, enjoying the touch of cool air on her naked skin. She pulled a fresh pair of underwear and an overlarge t-shirt out of the drawer, pulling them on and heading to the bathroom.

Once inside, she glanced at herself in the mirror, feeling a pleasant shiver traversing through her at the sight of the bite mark on her neck, the beard burns on her chest peeking from under the collar of her t-shirt. Delicious memories of last night danced through her mind.

Dany washed her face and brushed her teeth, and was in the process of dragging a brush through her hair when she heard something. Some kind of a scraping sound. She frowned and put the brush down, leaving the bathroom to investigate.

She padded to the kitchen barefoot just to freeze in her tracks and stare at the sight before her, mouth falling open in surprise.

Because Jon Snow was there. In her kitchen. Wearing a pair of jeans and a faded t-shirt with "Westeros Air Force" emblazoned on the back. And he was flipping pancakes.

She just stood and stared for a few seconds, trying to remember whether one-night stands usually stuck around to cook breakfast. She couldn't be sure, but she thought the answer was a definite NO.

"Good morning," his voice startled her out of her reverie. He hadn't even turned around. Merely flipped another pancake, neatly sliding a plate under it to catch it. It joined a growing stack already placed on it. His work complete, he quickly turned off the stove.

Then he wiped his hands on a dishtowel and turned around to face her, a small smile playing on her lips, "Did you sleep well?"

She had, she suddenly realized. She slept like the dead. Like she hadn't in months. In years, maybe. She slept better last night than she had every night for... she didn't even remember how long.

"Yes, thank you," she mumbled, "You?" She felt awkward and unsure, not quite knowing what to say or how to act.

He smiled, "I slept great, thank you. I was exhausted for some reason." His eyes darkened and she shivered, knowing exactly what was going through his mind.

And then, to her surprise, he moved forward and tugged her close, pressing a long slow kiss to her lips.

Her lips parted instinctively for him, her hands wrapping around his shoulders. He tasted like mint and coffee and something sugary and sweet. It suited him. Her mind was trying to interfere with thoughts like _what are you doing, Dany?_ but she ignored it. The moment felt so good.

He finished the kiss with a teasing nibble to her lower lip.

"Hungry?" he murmured.

"For food?"

He laughed. The sound rich and beautiful. She wouldn't mind hearing more of it.

"For now..." he said, a teasing look in his eyes.

She glanced at the stack of pancakes resting on a plate on the counter. They did smell good. And she suddenly realized she was starving.

"I didn't even know I had the ingredients for pancakes," she remarked, trying to remember if she even had non-expired milk at home. She was still feeling jittery. Nervous, for some reason, her nerve-ends tingling. But that might have something to do with the touch of his lips on hers.

"I had to drop by the store to get eggs," he admitted, "luckily I spotted one when I went out for my run."

_His run? How long has he been awake?_

She smoothed her hair back nervously, turning to get some plates out of the cupboard, setting them on the table along with cutlery.

"I was going to make coffee as well, but I couldn't figure out how to operate that monstrosity of yours," he indicated the Nespresso machine perched on the counter.

Dany giggled in spite of herself, "You're an ex-airforce commercial pilot and you can't figure out how to work a coffee-maker?" she asked teasingly.

He rolled his eyes, lips quirking up in amusement, "The 747 doesn't have a function called a _'frother'_."

After preparing two cups of steaming coffee, Dany carried the mugs to the small table and they sat down across from each other.

The pancakes were thick and fluffy, just the way she liked them. So Captain Snow wasn't only insanely hot and a beast in the bedroom, but he could also cook. She really should feel resentful.

"So how come you were up so early?" Dany asked a few minutes later, in an attempt to break the somewhat awkward silence.

He shrugged, taking a sip from the coffee mug, "A habit I picked up at the military," he scratched his beard distractedly, "you can't take the military out of the man, I guess," he smiled faintly.

"How early did you have to get up when you were on active duty?" she inquired, leaning back in her chair, hands cupped around her own coffee cup.

"4AM during training," he grumbled, "thankfully I can sleep until at least six nowadays, but for a long time after my discharge I still woke up before the sun was up," he shook his head ruefully, "took a while to get used to living in the real world."

Dany nodded in sympathy. Even without a military background, she also tended to wake up much earlier than she would've liked, she could relate.

"Thank you, by the way," she mumbled, "for making breakfast. You really didn't have to."

He smiled at her, making her heart stutter, "It's my pleasure, and... I was starving," he added sheepishly, "so it was for my benefit as much as it was for yours."

Dany laughed, the awkwardness dissipating somewhat. The rest of the meal went by in a companionable silence.

When they had finished eating, Jon leaned back in his seat, a small frown creasing his forehead.

"Dany..." he hesitated and she felt a twinge of trepidation in her gut, "I just wanted to say, about last night..."

 _Here we go,_ she thought, stomach squirming in discomfort. She somehow didn't think he would be the one to dismiss her. She wondered whether the pancakes were just a means to soften the blow.

He sounded slightly nervous and apologetic, "I think the second time, we, well _I_ , I forgot to use-"

She suddenly understood what he was trying to say.

"-I'm on birth control," she interrupted, feeling her cheeks heat up, "and I've never-" she stared at a point just beyond his head, unable to look him in the eye for the moment, "I've never had sex without protection before so you don't have to worry," she mumbled, "I'm good."

He nodded, his forehead smoothing again, the frown disappearing, "Just so you know, the airline makes us get a thorough medical exam every few months and I haven't- not since-"

She understood, nodding at him. He smiled at her then. His hand snuck across the table to tangle with hers, his thumb caressing the soft skin of her palm. 

That hungry spark was back in his eyes and she suddenly knew that she was going to tremendously enjoy the fact that she was still on birth control.

  


✈✈✈

  


Dany woke up early the next morning. The bed felt empty and cold after an entire day spent almost exclusively in it with Jon, engaging in indecent activities that made her blush when thinking about them.

He had left late the night before. He had a long-distance flight early the next day and had to go back home to pack and get some sleep.

_They were standing at her door. Jon had his arms braced on the wall on either side of her head, kissing her so thoroughly she thought his lips will leave a permanent mark on hers._

_"You could stay the night," she murmured, running her fingertips over his shirtfront, firmly ignoring her mind screaming at her that this wasn't a good idea._

_He smiled against her lips, one of his hands now caressing the small of her back, "I doubt I'll get much sleep if you're in bed with me," he muttered._

_He then pressed her to the door and kissed the living daylights out of her. She had to fight to suppress the urge to drag him to her bedroom and never let him leave._

At least now she could go back to her regularly scheduled life. Hopefully, minus sweaty dreams about Captain Jon Snow.

She climbed out of bed to get dressed and ready for the day. She wasn't scheduled to work that day so had to figure out what to do with her time. 

She decided to call Missy, who Dany knew also had the day off, and invite her to get breakfast together. She didn't feel like spending the entire day at home.

Missy, ever the early bird, answered her call after the second ring. She enthusiastically agreed to meet up. And so, less than an hour later, Dany was squeezing her way through the many patrons in one of the more popular cafés in downtown KL.

She saw Missy, already seated at a table in a secluded corner, energetically waving at her.

They hugged warmly, exchanging pleasantries before snagging the menus laying on the table. They both settled on coffee and Dornish-style eggs, the cafe's signature dish.

Their coffees arrived promptly and they both gratefully seized them at once. 

"So how's your weekend been so far?" asked Missy, drinking deeply from her coffee mug and humming in approval.

Dany carefully sipped from her own steaming mug. The coffee was delicious.

"Oh, you know... same old," she replied vaguely. She wasn't quite sure how to bring up the subject of spending the night with Captain Snow. But she didn't have to because, at that moment, Missy's eyes widened as she stared at Dany.

"What?" asked Dany, perplexed.

Missy pointed at her neck, "Is that a bite mark?"

"Oh." _Damn it._

Dany carefully put her mug down, nervously tugging at the collar of her shirt.

Missy, who seemed amused, quirked up an eyebrow, "Pretty sure it wasn't there the last I've seen you at work so... this must be a new development," she smiled mischievously at her, "soooo... who's the guy? Oh no wait! Let me guess, let's see-"

"Woah ok Sherlock, how about I just tell you instead?" Missy smiled as Dany wrapped her fingers tightly around her mug and told her all about her evening and night with Captain Snow.

Missy listened with her mouth half-open. Their food had arrived, but they paid it no mind.

"You had a date with hot Captain Snow?" Missy finally asked, smiling giddily.

"It wasn't a date," said Dany, pulling her plate towards her and swirling a spoon into the rich cream sauce, "and how do you know he's hot?"

Missy shrugged, pulling her own plate towards her and seizing her knife and fork, "I work at the airport too, you know, I've seen him around." 

She leaned closer with a conspiratorial look, "The flight attendants constantly gush about him," she giggled, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, "so how was he?"

Dany's cheeks pinkened, "I've never known you to listen to gossip," she teased.

"Hey, I can't help what people tell me," she smiled innocently, "now, spill!" she ordered.

"You will kindly to keep this one to yourself, blabbermouth." Dany bit her lip, her blush deepening when she thought about her night with Jon.

Missy laughed into her coffee, "I see. Promise. No details needed. It's written all over your face," she gave Dany a devilish smile, "that good, huh?"

"Kind of mind-blowing," she murmured into her own mug, hearing Missy giggle excitedly.

"So when will you see him again?"

"I don't know that I will, Missy," Dany shrugged, "It was just a one-time thing."

"Oh? Did he get your number?"

Dany said nothing, stuffing her mouth full of food instead. Before he left, Jon had asked if he could call her and she said yes. She didn't think he actually would but she gave him her number anyhow. 

Missy whooped and pumped her fist in the air, "I knew it!" She punched Dany's shoulder playfully, but her voice was soft when she asked, "Do you want to see him again?"

 _Yes._ "I don't know." Dany busied herself with her food, taking a bite of the butter-fried toast.

"Except for his... talents in the bedroom, did you enjoy spending time with him?" Missy gently prodded.

"I- I guess- I don't..." Dany dropped her fork to grab her coffee mug again, "I barely know him, Missy."

"Maybe you should get to," Missy smiled at her kindly.

Dany sighed. Missy had always tried to gently push her into having a more active social life. More specifically, a relationship.

"I'm not good at that, Missy," she muttered, "you know that."

"I know no such thing," Missy said firmly, "just because it didn't work out for you before doesn't mean it never will."

"I don't even know if I'm interested," Dany mumbled in reply.

"Fair enough." Missy smiled, waving her hand to the waiter to ask for a refill for their coffee, "just... keep an open mind, won't you Dany?"

  


✈✈✈

  


_**King's Landing International Airport, Sunday 1030** _

_  
Pilot: CrownJet 2010 looks like we'll be ready to head over there pretty soon.  
  
Control Tower: CrownJet 2010 can you just tell me where 'over there' is?  
  
Pilot: Uhh.. I think they're gonna take us to Sierra. They just pushed back a plane from B23, that's our gate.  
  
CT: Good to know. You're on the wrong frequency though, CrownJet 2010, you need to talk to Ground.  
  
Pilot: Sorry, tower._

  
Dany slumped back in her chair, rubbing her eyes. She reached for the paper cup holding her coffee, taking a long sip. She had splurged on the good stuff this time. She got it from the fancy café in the terminal, which charged outrageous amounts for every cup, but at least it was better than the pale imitation of coffee they had in the tower.

She found herself often distracted. Her work was flawless as always, but the small lulls in activity were punctuated by restless thoughts. And they were all directed at one handsome pilot. 

_It's the sex,_ she told herself sternly. The earth-shattering mind-blowing sex they had engaged in for nearly 24 hours. It was making her mind fuzzy.

_  
Pilot: CLA 4005, you said to follow AirDorne at November and continue on... where he's going?  
  
CT: Well, follow him to the runway, CLA 4005, don't follow him to Dorne.  
  
Pilot: <laugh> alright, we'll try not to, thank you CLA 4005._

  
Thoughts of him kept plaguing her mind the entire drive home.

Jon called her hours after his original scheduled arrival time in Pentos, sounding exhausted. He explained that there had been a 3-hour delay in the flight due to bad weather conditions and long queues at the airport, which meant he got very little rest.

She had made some joke about inept ATCs not able to handle the rush and he laughed in response. His voice had softened then and she remembered clutching the phone to her ear, hands suddenly damp with sweat.

"At least they got us a nice hotel this time," he had said, "I can practically see the entire city from the balcony."

"Sounds nice," she murmured.

"Maybe next time you could tag along," he said then, voice quiet, "you might like it."

She didn't know what to say to that. She still felt like she barely knew him. And yet... something about it felt so natural. Which was even more concerning because she didn't _do_ this. She wasn't looking to date. Been there, done that, never worked out. 

So what's the point, really?

So she bade him good night and ended the call. She went to pour herself a glass of wine and plopped down on the sofa. Her mind drifted back to some of the more pleasurable memories from the day she spent with him.

_She kinda wanted to thank him for breakfast, and so, once they were finished and the dishes were safely in the sink, she had pushed him back against the counter._

_"Time for dessert," she had whispered in his ear, then slid down his body to swiftly unzip and lower his pants and underwear in one fell swoop._

_She used her tongue and lips to great advantage, making him gasp and groan. She marveled at her own ability to elicit these sounds from his mouth, to make his knees shake and his hands clutch the counter, white-knuckled, for support. The sight of his face, contorted with pleasure, was beautiful to behold._

_She felt absurdly pleased with herself when he finally broke apart, her hands and mouth still on him, savoring the way he looked, dazed and sated, and more than a little wobbly._

_After a surprisingly short recovery period, Jon clutched the tops of her arms, pulling her up and dragging her back to the bedroom._

_They were sitting up in her bed, without a stitch on. She was sitting in his lap, her back to his chest. He gently guided her arms to wrap securely behind his neck._

_"Keep your arms there," he whispered in her ear, his lips giving her earlobe a teasing nibble. She nodded, shivering in anticipation._

_Then his hands started traveling. His fingertips caressed her shoulders and her neck, dipping lightly into the valley between her breasts, teasing the sides with feather-light touches. He traced circles on her breasts, diminishing in size until his fingertips brushed over her nipples. She shuddered, moaning softly at the teasing touch._

_He then pulled and twisted at her nipples gently, rolling them between his fingers. Dany squirmed, feeling the need building rapidly._

_His fingers then traveled downwards, excruciatingly slow until they pressed slowly between her thighs. She gasped, her thighs quivering, "Jon," she moaned, breathing labored, needing more._

_Then she felt his finger press inside, just a little at first and then deeper, caressing her quivering flesh. She bit her lip, gasping for breath. She wasn't sure how much more of the teasing touch she could take._

_Another finger joined the first and then he curled them just right... Her body jolted and she cried out when he pressed right _there_ , into the spot that made her see stars._

_She moaned his name again. She pressed down into his lap, which seemed to completely shatter his resolve. He pulled his fingers out and lifted her, lowering her onto his aching length._

_A tiny part of her mind that was not delirious with pleasure noted how incredibly strong he was. His biceps flexed as he lifted her up easily, bringing her down upon him over and over again. Until something inside of her coiled and snapped, until her head snapped back with a long moan and she fell apart around him._

_He pressed her down once more on top of him, pushing as deep as he could go and grunted as he tumbled over the edge seconds after she did, arms tight around her, holding her flush against his body, his forehead resting on her shoulder._

_It took Dany a long while before she could form coherent sentences again._

_"You have some moves, Captain," she drawled to the man sprawled on the bed next to her._

_He chuckled and drew her close._

_"You somehow bring it out in me", he murmured into her ear and she shivered in response._

Dany sighed. Not the best thing to think about right before turning in, she thought grimly. She finished the last of her wine, brushed her teeth, and dragged herself to bed.

Sleep eluded her again that night.

  


✈✈✈

  


_**King's Landing International Airport, Wednesday 1930** _

_  
CT: Sunspear 1918, are you proceeding to Tango?  
  
Pilot: Yes, more or less, Sunspear 1918.  
  
CT: Sunspear 1918 in that case, proceed a little bit more to Tango!_

  
Dany got up from her seat, vacating it for the next shift. 

She nodded at the ATC on the next shift, a sour-faced man named Thorne, "Calm day today, not many on the schedule," she muttered and turned immediately towards the exit, grabbing her bag and coat on her way out.

Jon had sent her a message the day before. He was due back in town tonight and asked if she wanted to get dinner.

She had replied with 'Sure' before she could think better of it. She hadn't even asked where he wanted to eat, that wasn't the point. She knew what _'dinner'_ meant. It wasn't about the food.

Her phone rang just as she walked through the door of her apartment.

She checked the display, _Jon_. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. He was going to cancel, she just knew it.

"Hello?"

"Hey," his voice sounded tired.

"Hey," she answered, kicking her shoes off and heading to the living room, "what's up?"

"I'll be running late, I'm sorry," he sighed, sounding frustrated, "there's been some mixup at the tower and it caused delays with some of the incoming flights."

Dany sighed. _Thorne... should've known it would be a mess._

"Don't wait for me with dinner," he said apologetically, "I just deboarded, I'll be another hour, maybe more with the traffic," he cleared his throat, "do you.. uh... want to reschedule?"

_Absolutely not._

"How about you come here for drinks when you're done?" she murmured instead, kicking off her shoes as she proceeded inside the apartment.

"Sure," he sounded relieved, she was pleased to note, "I'll grab a sandwich at the terminal and be there as soon as I can."

She murmured a goodbye, hung up, and hurried to take a shower.

Jon had greeted her with a swift hug and a soft kiss on her cheek when she opened the door. "Hey," he murmured, "Sorry I'm late." 

Dany smiled at him, suddenly shy, "You're here now."

It'd been nearly a week, she realized, since she last saw him. It felt like so much more somehow. It felt remarkably good to be close to him again, to see that spark in his eyes, to hear the soft lilt of his voice. She hadn't even realized she had been missing it.

She pulled him into the living room and invited him to join her on the sofa. She poured them a glass of Dornish Red each from a bottle she had placed beforehand on the coffee table.

Jon hummed as he tasted the wine, "This is good," he remarked with a smile.

"Well, it's not Tormund's ale," she teased, "but it's one of my favorites."

His lips quirked in an amused smile as he took another slow sip.

She looked at him from under her lashes. He looked tired but breathtaking. _How can he be possibly getting even prettier every time I see him?_ she wondered, running her gaze over his strong shoulders, the luscious curve of his lips and his strong jaw.

She was a bit startled to feel the gentle touch of his hand on her forearm.

"How's your week been?" he asked quietly, his fingers sliding down to tangle with hers.

"It's been good, busy as usual," she shrugged, "not many flights today for a change, so it's been mostly calm, how about you?"

"Pretty godsawful, to be honest," he admitted, draining his glass and setting it down on the coffee table, "quite a few delays, I didn't get much rest," his fingers now traced small circles on her palm, "my week is significantly improving now, though."

Dany swallowed, feeling the heat steadily rising, trying to concentrate on not dropping her wine glass and staining her beige carpet.

"So," he leaned over to pick up the wine bottle, topping her off, "got any interesting stories from working at the tower?" he asked, helping himself to more wine as well. "I only ever hear business from your ilk. Except that one time an ATC asked about Ghost, of course."

 _So you do remember._ "Oh, I have dozens," Dany smiled, making a note to herself to revisit the topic of him having a wolf at a later time, nodding in thanks for the refill, "you wouldn't believe what kind of things happen sometimes."

"Do tell."

"Well," she searched her mind for some of the more peculiar incidents she had witnessed, "there was this one pilot that reported he was a flight of two," she giggled at the memory, "I had to explain to him that 'a flight of two' meant one pilot speaking for two aircraft. NOT for two people in the cockpit."

He laughed, making her wish she had a thousand more stories that could invoke that sound from him.

Dany shifted in her seat, "There was also this one time I had to inform a pilot that the baggage door on the aircraft was open," she shook her head, laughing at the memory, "they actually had luggage falling out and didn't notice."

Jon smiled, eyes dancing with amusement, looking even more mesmerizing than usual, "your job sounds exciting," he murmured, his thumb eliciting pleasurable shivers as it ran over her wrist.

Dany swallowed, suddenly finding it harder to concentrate, "It is, sometimes," she smiled wrily, "although, in my line of work, one usually hopes for a boring day."

"Aye, same here."

As she assumed it to be just a prelude to sex, Dany thought the conversation would feel forced and awkward, but it didn't. He seemed genuinely interested in hearing about her work. It felt good... to just talk to him. To listen to his voice while having her hand in his warmer one, his fingers tangled with hers, causing tingly sensations to course through her.

The strangest foreplay she had ever had, but it was surprisingly effective nonetheless.

Having polished off two generous glasses of wine, Dany felt good and buzzed. And bold. She placed the empty wineglass on the coffee table and slid her hand onto Jon's thigh. She saw that dark spark glinting in his eyes again.

She slowly got up from her perch on the sofa and seated herself in his lap, straddling him. His hand came to rest lightly on her hip, his eyes fixed on hers, burning with a dark sort of fire.

She leaned down slightly to breathe against his ear, "Ready for dessert?"

With a gentle tug, their mouths were delicately touching. She pressed her tongue gently against his lips which parted for her, allowing her to press inside his mouth, to slide it against his own.

It was unbelievably arousing, to kiss him slowly like this. The fluttering touch of his hand on her hip, burning a hole through her clothes, the slow slide of his tongue on hers. Like a slow-erupting volcano. Like lava, hot and thick, running gently through her veins to thoroughly heat her up from the inside out.

She was curious to see how long they could keep up this pace before they completely lost control and ripped each other's clothes off.

Not long, she was willing to wager.

To test her theory, she slowly ran a hand over his chest, delicately scratching with her fingernails. She could feel him shudder under her touch, his tongue slid more insistently inside her mouth. She brought a hand to his hair to tangle in his curls, shaking them loose around his head.

His hands slipped under her blouse to caress her back, causing goosebumps to erupt on her skin. She began to subtly grind against him. He was more than ready, she could feel a very obvious proof of that.

He groaned into her mouth, his hands slipping down to grasp her bottom as she kept grinding into him.

He wrenched his mouth away, breathing hard. His lips were kiss-bruised, his hair tousled from her hands running through it.

"Bedroom?" he breathed the question against her lips.

She shook her head, her hands reaching to his belt buckle, "Here."

The darkening color of his eyes and the searing heat of his kiss made it clear to her that she was right.

  


✈✈✈

  


A long while later, they were laying in her bed, naked save for the sheets twisted around them. Dany was still quivering from the aftermath, her skin covered by a thin sheen of sweat.

After the frenzied first round on her sofa, Jon had dragged her into the bedroom for another one. Not as frenzied, but no less pleasurable. The memory of the touch of his tongue on her and the wicked things it did to her body made her quiver even more.

She rested her head on Jon's chest, idly tracing patterns on his skin. Her fingers followed a path of a long white scar streaking across his chest, marring the pale skin.

She saw that he caught her staring and stilled her fingers, glancing away guiltily.

"It's ok," he murmured, breaking the silence, "I don't mind." He interlaced his fingers with hers, drawing them to rest over his heart.

"What happened to you?" she whispered before she could stop herself. She winced, biting her lip. She didn't want to pry, it was none of her business. She opened her mouth to apologize, but he spoke before she had the chance.

"I was a held captive for a while during the War of the Wall."

Dany's eyes widened, her hand flexing reflexively in his.

"For how long?" she hesitantly asked.

"Three months."

He then took a deep breath and told her everything.

"I was on a recon mission beyond the wall when my engine died. A mechanical failure, they told me later. I had to evac over enemy territory. There were strong winds that day, I was swept towards a dense part of the forest, collided hard with some trees. I was badly injured."

He exhaled a breath and Dany immediately felt guilty for making him rehash what must have been a traumatizing experience. The gentle squeeze of his hand on hers reassured her that it was ok.

"The free-folk found me. They brought me back from the brink of death, they said."

"So, you got the scars in the accident?" she asked, tracing her fingers over a jagged cut right over his heart. It did not look accidental, it resembled a knife wound.

"Not all of them."

It took her a moment to realize what he was saying. A shiver ran down her spine. She felt suddenly cold.

"I'm sorry," she said helplessly, feeling as though anything she could say would be inadequate.

He breathed out a sigh, "It's ok, it was a long time ago."

"How did- how did you escape?" she asked.

"Tormund. He saved my life."

"Tormund? The bar owner?"

"Aye. That's how we met."

Jon tightened his hold around her hand, squeezing her fingers as if to steel himself. "Tormund... didn't approve of their methods. After I was- after they tried to get information out of me, he would come. He gave me food and water, dressed my wounds. Eventually, he managed to smuggle me out, at great risk to his own life. In return, I helped him cross the wall and find refuge. He couldn't go back to the free-folk. They named him a traitor, they'd kill him."

Dany just laid there, trying to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. Her fingers trembled as she traced them over his chest. She couldn't imagine what kind of pain he must've been in, to have suffered through an ordeal such as this.

"I hope the people who did this to you are dead," she murmured, voice trembling, "they deserve it."

Jon grimaced slightly, one hand moving to thread through her hair, "They are what we made them," he murmured, "don't judge them too harshly."

"It doesn't excuse... this," she traced a trembling hand down his chest, over a jagged scar at his side. It made her feel ill, that somebody would do that to him.

"It doesn't," he agreed, fingers interlacing with hers over his scarred chest, "but..." he shook his head with a heavy sigh, "I used to think things were black and white," he murmured, his gaze far away, "good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, but it's not," he turned his eyes to hear and she was startled to see the emotion, the pain in them, "I've been there, I've seen it. There are two sides to every story. And this is a tragic one."

Dany felt a wave of emotion wash over her, making her heart clench. She bent her head and pressed her lips to the scar across his heart. She moved over his chest, pressing her lips to each one of the faded marks marring it, hoping that the little she could give would ease his pain somewhat. 

"Dany." Her name escaped his lips hushed and reverent. Like a prayer. She raised her head to glimpse a wave of emotion in his eyes. Something she didn't know how to deal with. So she pressed her lips to his, drinking him in, falling deeper and deeper, feeling as though she was drowning.

  


✈✈✈

  


Dany groaned loudly as Jon's hands pressed down slowly, "Right there, harder, please."

His hands were warm, his touch soft but firm. It felt like pure heaven.

She was laying on her stomach in her bed, completely naked, head buried in a pillow. He loomed above her, his strong hands working their magic on her back.

It was late afternoon. She had the day off and he came back to town ahead of schedule. He had called, she invited him over, one thing led to another...

He had noticed her rubbing her shoulder while they were both catching their breaths, recovering from another round of rigorous activities, and asked her if she was ok. She had mentioned her shoulders were aching from sitting hunched over the console at the tower.

He sat up then and all but ordered her to roll over. He then moved behind her and proceeded to slowly massage her shoulders and back.

Dany felt her body nearly melting into jelly at his expert touch as he patiently worked out every kink and cramp in her shoulders and back. She bit back another moan when his hands traveled lower to rub small circles into her lower back.

"Gods, this feels good," she mumbled into the pillow, "how are you so good at this?"

He chuckled behind her, "I've been told I'm a natural."

 _I bet,_ she thought wrily. He was amazing with his hands. At all kinds of things.

The room was silent for a few seconds, save for her occasional soft moan when his fingers touched a particularly tense spot.

When he was finished and her body felt as though it completely melted, he flopped down on his side next to her, running gentle fingertips across her back.

Dany shivered, enjoying the light ghost of a touch on her bare skin. His hand crawled up to tangle in her hair, his fingers gently running through the silky strands. 

She turned her face to him, just to be startled by the tenderness in his gaze. She felt her cheeks heat up. She couldn't remember anyone ever looking at her like this.

What was _wrong_ with her? Not twenty minutes ago they were engaged in obscene activities that made her cry out loud enough to surely be heard by her elderly upstairs neighbor, and yet the mere touch of his hand in her hair and the look in his eyes made her blush.

"What?" she asked, somewhat defensively.

He smiled, humming, rubbing a lock of soft silvery hair between his fingers.

"I've never seen hair color like yours before," he said, "it's beautiful."

She smiled at the compliment, "Targaryen hair," she murmured, "a family trait," she shrugged, "I have my Valyrian roots to thank for that, I suppose."

He hummed again, "Big family?" he asked lightly.

She knew he was just making conversation, but she stiffened all the same. She rarely spoke of her family. Missandei knew everything, of course, and some of her friends from KLU but that was about it. She glanced at his face again and saw the same tender look from before. Her body relaxed.

"Not really," she said quietly, "my mother died when I was young, my father in my teens, it's just me and my brother," she fixed her gaze back on her pillow, nervously toying with the edges of the pillowcase, "and my niece and nephew too, now," she added.

His hand in her hair stilled for a moment, then continued running through it, his touch soothing.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

She shrugged, "It was a long time ago." She felt melancholy spreading through her stomach. She hadn't thought about her parents in a while, she mostly tried to push the painful memories away, she was good at that.

She felt Jon's hand move lower and then his arm curled around her waist, pulling her to him. He kissed her, long and slow and she felt the sadness dissipating, getting replaced by something soft and warm she couldn't quite name.

"Maybe next time we can do this at my place," he murmured against her lips.

She pressed her lips more firmly to his, kissing him deeper still, ignoring the near painful tug at her heart.

  


✈✈✈

  


**_King's Landing International Airport, Monday 1800_ **

_  
CT: Air Braavos 8650, good news, you're cleared for takeoff.  
  
Pilot: What's the bad news?  
  
CT: None at the moment, but you better takeoff before I find some._

  
It had been raining non-stop all day. The sky a murky gray, full of angry-looking clouds.

Dany absent-mindedly rubbed her own achy shoulders, sending a glance at the clock. Two more hours for her shift. And Jon was due back in KLA tonight. She knew he would come over.

She had made up her mind. She could do this. Just a casual thing. He was obviously interested so there was no harm in enjoying everything he had to offer.

They hadn't specifically made any plans, but they didn't really need to. She had mentioned to him what her shifts were like this week and she knew from the flight schedule that he would be landing from Dorne in approximately three hours.

She would go back to her apartment, take a shower, make some tea. And she knew he would show up. And undress her. And carry her to her bedroom. And do amazing, wicked things to her body that turned it liquid under his fingers.

She had bought a new set of lingerie on a whim the week before. White and lacy, looking innocent at first glance. But when she tried the bra on at the store... she remembered gazing at her own reflection, thinking that the garment made her look like both an angel and a devil. Wicked under the pretense of innocence. She knew he would appreciate it. She could hardly wait to see his eyes widen and his lips part with a quiet _"fuck,"_ when he saw it on her.

And whatever the followup was going to be, she had no doubt it would be sinful. And delicious. And probably cause her a near blackout kind of stupor when he was done with her. She tried to ignore the increasing pressure between her thighs at the thought.

A bolt of lightning briefly lit the tower, splicing the darkening sky. A clap of thunder followed closely after.

In the workstation beside Dany's, Missy made a face at the gloomy sky outside the windows.

"Another miserable day for flying, huh," she remarked, "we'll probably get more cancellations."

Several airlines had already canceled some of their scheduled incoming and outgoing flights in KLA. "Westerwings and ValeJet have already announced they won't be flying at least until tomorrow noon."

Dany tapped the schedule in front of her, checking the rest of the listing for tonight. Jon's flight, Dany was pleased to find, was still scheduled to arrive at the original estimated time.

It'd been over two weeks since she'd seen him due to back-to-back flights on his part and a full work schedule on hers. It was making her restless. She idly wondered when she had become such a sex-addict that she was so impatient to see him again after only two weeks apart.

She ignored the nagging little voice inside that said something that sounded like maybe it wasn't _just_ the sex she was missing and sat straighter in her chair in an effort to alleviate the pain in her shoulders.

A little over two hours later, she finally saw the line on the radar representing NAL 1315 getting closer to the airport. Her headset crackled into action.

But it wasn't what she was expecting.

_Pilot: <static>  
  
CT: NAL 1315 if you're trying to reach me all I hear is static.  
  
Pilot: NAL 1315- <crackle> \- emergency - <crackle> \- we have an engine fire, descending.  
  
CT: NAL 1315 are you descending right now?  
  
Pilot: 1315 affirmative, we're single-engine descending, we have a fire in engine one._

  
Dany felt her heart starting to pound, dread pooling in her stomach. She signaled Brienne to pick up a headset and listen in.

"1315 has just declared an Emergency," Dany said shortly, her eyes glued to the radar screen in front of her, following the path of the plane that was rapidly approaching the airport.

_CT: Ok, 1315, clearing a runway for you. Fly heading 250.  
  
Pilot: Heading 250 1315.  
  
CT: Roger 1315, stand by._

  
Dany's fingers flew over the keyboard, checking the flights about to descend and the ones currently on the ground, hastily trying to clear a runway. It was tricky due to the weather conditions, but she finally managed it.

_CT: 1315 you have final approach clearance, you are cleared to land._

  
Silence. There was no answer from the flight. Dany willed her hands to stop shaking, breathing slowly and steadily through her nose. Now was not the time to panic. She drew on her years of experience to keep herself calm and cool. That's what the job required.

She'd done it countless times before, this was no different. Except... _He_ was onboard, piloting an aircraft that apparently had a severe emergency and she couldn't banish the fear that settled deep in her stomach.

She took a deep, centering breath. She had to find out what was going on in order to prepare emergency services on the ground. She tapped her mic again.

_CT: NAL 1315, this is KLA control, do you read me?  
  
Pilot: <crackle> Go for NAL 1315, we have a malfunctioning radio.  
  
CT: 1315 can you confirm you have a single engine and there's fire?  
  
Pilot: Actually, we have no fire right now but we are single-engine 1315  
  
CT: Single-engine confirmed 1315, cleared direct to KLA. Can you maintain 11000'?  
  
Pilot: Affirmative, control, 1315 maintaining 11000'_

  
Dany quickly instructed Brienne to arrange for rescue vehicles on the ground, "and get some airport security there as well," she called out behind her shoulder.

Brienne was already dialing. "They want to know if there's anything else wrong with the plane," she called out from behind Dany's shoulder, "and which engine it is that is down."

_CT: 1315, you are single-engine, anything else wrong?  
  
Pilot: 1315 single-engine, that's it.  
  
CT: Ok 1315. Are there any casualties or injuries onboard?  
  
Pilot: Negative on the casualties 1315. There are no serious injuries of crew and passengers that we're aware of at this point, but we do have some passengers with minor injuries requiring medical attention.  
  
CT: Roger that 1315, we are preparing emergency services on the ground for you. Which engine is down?  
  
Pilot: That's engine number one, 1315, captain's side.  
  
CT: Copy that 1315, thank you._

  
Brienne materialized at her side, listening in on the second headset.

"Pilot seems calm," she remarked.

"That's because he's a professional," said Dany shortly, "don't kid yourself, this is a serious emergency, landing will be tricky."

Dany clicked some of the flashing squares on her screen. She needed to divert some other flights to make way for NAL to land as soon as possible.

_CT: Westerwings 1458, you can expect an extended downwind. We have another airplane coming in with a pretty serious emergency so we're going to get him in front of you.  
  
Pilot: No problem, do what you gotta do Westerwings 1458.  
  
CT: Maintain 170 knots Westerwings 1458, I'm gonna slow you down.  
  
Pilot: Roger, maintaining 170 Westerwings 1458.  
  
CT: CLA 585 also, emergency will be landing in front of you there, reduce speed to 170. We'll get you in as soon as we can.  
  
Pilot: Got it, slowing to 170 CLA 585._

  
After making sure the path was clear, she turned back to NAL, anxious to hear Jon's voice again.

  


_CT: NAL 1315, maintain 4000', do you need further assistance?  
  
Pilot: 1315 maintaining 4000', please tell me the runway we're setting up for.  
  
CT: 1315 you're going to set up for 27L, we've cleared the runway for you, just let me know when you want to go in.  
  
Pilot: 1315 we're gonna have to slow down as we are missing a part of the aircraft.  
  
CT: 1315 speed is your discretion, maintain an altitude of 3000' or above.  
  
Pilot: Roger, down to 3000' 210 on the speed 1315._

  
Dany pushed all emotions down, concentrating on her task. She couldn't let her thoughts run wild, could not imagine what might happen. Single-engine landing required a very delicate touch on the stick. One wrong movement and the plane could stall. Could lose control and crash into the ground, potentially killing everyone onboard. She could NOT picture the multitude of gruesome accidents she had learned about during training.

She had to help them to safety. That's what she was there for.

_CT: 1315 what's your fuel situation?  
  
Pilot: 1315 has 21,000 pounds of fuel._

  
Dany fixed her eyes on the radar again. The plane was approaching rapidly, nearing the airport.

_CT: Ok 1315, start looking for the airport. It should be off to your right and slightly behind you. Altitude at your discretion, use caution for the downtown area. Advising to maintain altitude of 220 or above.  
  
Pilot: 1315 maintaining 200 ft.  
  
CT: 1315 report the airport in sight, please.  
  
Pilot: 1315, airport's in sight.  
  
CT: 1315 you're cleared to land on 27L, wind is 280 at 19 gusts 25.  
  
Pilot: 1315 cleared to land to 27L. Wish us luck.  
  
CT: Good luck 1315._

  
She wanted to say something more but she didn't know how or what to say. So she just fixed her gaze on the window now where another bolt of lightning lit the sky momentarily. 

She saw the dark outline of NAL 1315 approaching. Heavy plumes of dark smoke were coming out of engine 1. It was a frightening sight, straight out of airplane disaster movies. She clutched her desk, knuckles white and heart pounding.

Everybody else stared outside in awe, watching as the plane descended steeply, heading towards the landing runway.

A few tense minutes passed, then finally-

_Pilot: 1315 has landed, thank you for your help, control.  
  
CT: Copy that, 1315, good job._

  
Dany could barely contain her sigh of relief. She wrenched off her headset with trembling hands. She got up from her post, glancing at the clock. Her shift had ended almost 30 minutes ago.

She glanced towards Brienne, who was still standing at her shoulder.

"Brienne, would you mind taking over now?" She wanted to get down to the runway, despite it being quite far out of her job description. She had to go see with her own eyes that he was alright.

"Of course not."

Dany snatched her coat off the hook in the corner and hurried outside, pinning her security badge to the front of her coat as she went.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you all soonish with the final chapter for this little story.
> 
> I'll also talk a bit about my next project(s?) then.
> 
> Stay safe!


	4. Cleared to Land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Control Tower: AirMeereen 986 are you having problems?_
> 
> _Pilot: I think I've lost my compass, AirMeereen 987._
> 
> _CT: AirMeereen 986 judging by the way you are flying, you lost your entire instrument panel._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it, the conclusion for this little project of mine!
> 
> Thanks again for everyone who read/kudos'd/commented/liked/reblogged etc. You guys make it fun to write ^^
> 
> I'll ramble some more at the end notes. Enjoy!

Dany tapped her foot nervously while the elevator descended to the bottom floor. Once the door opened, she departed at once, hurrying towards the exit leading out to the vast airfield.

She raised her arm towards one of the security vehicles, waving impatiently. The young driver hurried towards her. He glanced at her badge.

"Miss Targaryen? May I help you?"

"Take me to 27L, please," she commanded, already climbing into the vehicle and fastening her seatbelt. The young man seemed puzzled but hurried to oblige.

The storm was finally over. The rain dwindled down to a light drizzle. Dany could see the flashing lights of the ambulances and fire trucks in the distance. There were also two airport security vehicles, stationed there to make sure no unauthorized persons ventured anywhere near the aircraft.

When they arrived at the scene, Dany hurriedly climbed out of the car, muttering a hasty 'thank you' to the driver. She slowly approached the crowd.

In the background, the large aircraft was looming. Smoke was still coming out from where engine one used to be, but it wasn't as thick as before. Firefighters and maintenance workers swarmed all around the aircraft. 

Dany saw several maintenance crew members busy attaching a tow bar to the landing gear by the nose, getting ready to attach it to a large tow truck that was already standing nearby in preparation to drag it off the runway.

Some passengers were still disembarking, assisted by two flight attendants. Most of the passengers were disheveled and shaky, profoundly relieved to be on solid ground again.

Dany returned her gaze to the crowd gathered a short way away from the plane by the flashing lights of the ambulances, trying to locate Jon. She nodded to one of the security guards who took one glance at her badge and moved out of the way, letting her go through.

She caught sight of a white-uniformed NAL crew member and hastily came closer, only to recognize Sam Tarly, the first officer. He seemed unharmed and was speaking to one of the paramedics.

Then she heard a familiar northern burr behind her and felt her heart skip a beat.

"It doesn't look that bad, Val, but if you believe you need medical attention, kindly go speak to one of the medics there." 

Dany turned around and saw him. He was missing his pilot's cap and there was a purple bruise on his hand, but he seemed perfectly fine otherwise.

The blonde flight attendant, Val, was walking next to him, hair disheveled, looking disgruntled.

"But, Captain-"

"I want to check on some of the passengers," he cut her off, "make sure they're ok."

Then his eyes found her and widened in surprise. They crinkled warmly when a smile formed on his lips.

He walked slowly towards her.

"Miss Targaryen," he said politely, although the look in his eyes was anything but. Dark hunger was lurking underneath the cordial smile. Dany swallowed, suppressing a shiver that had nothing to do with the cool breeze and the light drizzle.

"Captain Snow."

"May I commend you on your extraordinary performance with assisting our landing?"

Dany smiled, "You were pretty extraordinary yourself," she moved closer to him, close enough for his hand to twitch, imperceptibly grazing against hers, "I've never seen anyone so cool under pressure," she murmured, "you're cold as ice, Captain," she teased.

He cracked a smile, hunger now shining clearly in his eyes, "I think you know me well enough to know that's not true," he said quietly. She could feel the heat rising despite the wind blowing around them. There was something else flickering in his eyes now. Something that looked like longing and made her heart beat faster in her chest.

"Are-" she licked her suddenly dry lips, "are you ok?" she nudged his hand, eyeing the angry bruise forming on the side of it.

He glanced down and smiled sheepishly, "Hit my hand on the slats control lever, it's nothing."

Dany nodded. She opened her mouth to say she'd better get going when she was interrupted.

"She doesn't look like a passenger," came an irritable voice from behind them.

Jon rolled his eyes and turned to face Val again, "She isn't. This is Daenerys Targaryen from the control tower, who also happens to be my girlfriend. She pretty much single-handedly cleared the way for us to land safely," he said pointedly, "I was just about to express my gratitude to her for her excellent performance."

Without another word, Jon turned back to Dany, wrapped an arm around her waist, and drew her to him. Before she had a chance to draw breath, she was pressed flush against his body and his lips were pressed to hers in a long kiss.

Dany's knees immediately turned to jelly, the world dimmed around her, as it was prone to do in his presence. A breath later, he released her.

She stared into his eyes, feeling dazed and breathless.

"I need to stick around for a bit," he said apologetically, "might be a while... call you later?" he murmured.

All she could do was nod mutely. Jon squeezed her hand gently and walked off to inquire about the state of the passengers. Dany was vaguely aware of Val giving her a death glare from where she was standing.

She turned and silently climbed back into the security vehicle, asking the driver to take her back to the terminal.

Her mind was teeming with confused thoughts the entire way.

  


✈✈✈

  


Afterwards, she could barely remember making her way to her car, driving the familiar route home, and making her way to the living room. She found herself sitting on the sofa, a glass of wine clutched in her trembling hand.

 _Girlfriend_.

Nobody had called her that in a while, not since Darrio. And that episode brought on some unpleasant memories. Of feeling out of place and miserable, not understanding why she couldn't make a relationship work. Why she couldn't just be _normal_.

She felt something ugly and shameful twist in the pit of her stomach. It was supposed to be just a casual thing. Fuck Buddies. Friends with benefits. Something like that.

It hadn't occurred to her that Jon might not see it this way. Although, in hindsight, that was monumentally stupid of her to assume.

Heartless. That's what Daario had called her when she broke up with him. He said that she was incapable of having normal human emotions, incapable of being happy.

" _You're going to end up miserable and alone,_ " he had sneered at her then, " _best of luck to the next poor sod who tries to make it work with you._ "

He had said a lot of hurtful things. Dany just tuned it out back then, knowing he was hurt and lashing out.

But she had never forgotten the cruel words. Because, in her heart of hearts, she thought there was a grain of truth to them.

Not everyone was built to be part of a couple, to have long, happy relationships. To have sunset-strolls and a happy ever after. And she was ok with it, she really was.

But she never set out to hurt anyone, she never wanted to. Least of all Jon.

He was good and kind, and she knew he'd been through a lot in his life. She had seen the scars, the roadmap of his past. He deserved so much more than she was capable of giving. It wasn't fair, to use him just to break his heart somewhere along the line. Because one day, that time would surely come. Even if she tried to make it work, she knew that at some point, the interest would fade, she would feel trapped, suffocated. And everything would fall apart.

It was inevitable. Isn't that what life so far had taught her?

She had to put an end to this. Now. Before her resolve crumbled. Before she was close enough to touch and kiss him again and could somehow convince herself that the impossible could happen, that she could actually make him happy.

It was never meant to be. And the sooner she broke it off, the better.

  


✈✈✈

  


_**King's Landing International Airport, Tuesday 1400** _

_  
Pilot: Uhh.. Control?_

  
Dany scoffed. _And who the fuck would you be, idiot? We use call signs for a reason._

 _  
CT: Plane?  
  
Pilot: Sorry, control, IronWings 1706, when can we expect further clearance?  
  
CT: It will be at least 10 more minutes, IronWings 1706, stand by.  
  
Pilot: Roger that, IronWings 1706 standing by.  
_

  


Dany pushed her headset aside a bit to rub at her aching temples. She'd had a headache slowly forming since the beginning of her shift.

Jon had messaged her around 4AM that morning, saying he just got home and apologizing that he didn't have a chance to get in touch with her earlier. The words that concluded the text felt like they were etched into her brain. She couldn't stop thinking about them.

_"I miss you."_

The words made yesterday's night shameful feeling come back with vengeance, twist her stomach again with guilt and trepidation.

She hadn't returned his text. She didn't know what to say. If she were going to break it off with him, it shouldn't be over a text. It would confirm the words that Daario had said to her. That she was heartless.

So she did her best to just bury herself in her work, trying hard not to think about what she knew she had to do.

She frowned at the radar screen, noticing the erratic flight pattern of the one the approaching flights.

_  
CT: AirMeereen 986 are you having problems?  
  
Pilot: I think I've lost my compass, AirMeereen 987.  
  
CT: AirMeereen 986 judging by the way you are flying, you lost your entire instrument panel._

  
Tomorrow. She would talk to him tomorrow.

  


✈✈✈

  


Early that evening, she was laying on the sofa staring glassy-eyed at the tv. There was some mindless comedy playing on the small screen, but she wasn't paying attention, her mind far away.

The sound of her phone ringing, shrill in the quiet room, made her jump slightly. She picked it up with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Jon. She bit her lip and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey." The warmth in his voice made her feel so damn _guilty_. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, you?" she cursed mentally, willing herself to cut the small talk and just get it over with. Rip off the bandaid.

"I'm good, rested," she could almost hear the smile in the lilt of his voice, could imagine his lush lips curving up, "I was wondering... if you'd like to come over tonight? I'll make dinner."

"I, uhh, I have a shift in a few hours," she said quickly. _Liar_.

"Ah," he sounded faintly disappointed and she felt that twisting in her gut again, "tomorrow then?"

"I can't." Her heart was beating faster now out of nerves.

There was a short silence on the other end of the line before he spoke again, "Dany, is everything ok?" 

There was a touch of concern in his voice now.

She closed her eyes, her heart in her throat, "Yeah, I just-" she took a deep breath. _Just do it, Dany._ , "I don't think this is going to work-" she blurted out quickly, "I'm very busy, right now I just can't-" she wasn't even sure how to finish the sentence.

There was another silence and for a moment she thought he might have just hung up on her without a word. But then he spoke again.

"Did I do something wrong?" his voice was soft again. Why wasn't he angry? Lashing out, telling her off, or something.

"No, it's not you-" she bit her lip, trying to avoid giving the most cliché excuse ever, "I'm- I'm sorry, I have to go, I'll- I gotta go." She finished lamely and disconnected the call.

She just sat there for a few seconds, her hands clammy. It was done. She wasn't sure why she wasn't feeling more relieved. After a few more seconds, she got up from her seat and made her way to the kitchen. She retrieved a bottle of wine and a glass and went back to the sofa.

The TV was still on. She just sat there for a long time, slowly sipping her wine, her mind blank.

  


✈✈✈

  


_**King's Landing International Airport, Wednesday 1300** _

_  
Pilot: ValeJet 2012 request heading 110 to avoid-  
  
CT: ValeJet 2012 avoid what!?  
  
Pilot: Avoid delay._

  
_Dany, please talk to me._

His short little text was messing with her mind. He had called once again but she didn't pick up. And then he sent her that text.

After she broke up with Daario, he had called her incessantly. Texted her long tirades with the general tone ranging from _"you need to give us another chance, baby, I know we're meant to be"_ to _"you're incredibly selfish, you know that? And you obviously don't know a good thing when you've got it"._

At some point, she had taken to just deleting his texts without even reading them until he finally, blessedly, left her alone.

But Jon did not seem to resort to that tactic. She somehow figured he wouldn't. He didn't seem like the type to send her walls of text with multitudes of declarations and questions. 

There was just a simple plea. _Please, talk to me_.

She felt like the world's greatest bitch. _Heartless._ The word plagued her mind ceaselessly.

By some miracle, his arrivals at King's Landing did not coincide with her shifts for the next couple of weeks. She checked the schedule in advance to make sure. There was only one occurrence she was scheduled to be at the tower when he landed and she had asked Brienne to switch shifts with her.

She knew she was being ridiculous. It's not like he would initiate a personal conversation over the radio with approach control. But she didn't want to hear his voice. She feared that if she listened to it again so soon, her resolve will just crumble. And she would do what she constantly told herself she shouldn't and fall back into him.

It was better this way.

_  
Pilot: Tower, this is CLA 1004, give me a rough time check.  
  
CT: It’s Wednesday._

  


  


✈✈✈

  


Dany unlocked the door to her apartment, dropping her things on the table. The place was bathed in darkness, only the streetlights were twinkling through the window. She slowly stepped inside, looking around as if seeing the place for the first time.

 _Empty._ That's the word that came to mind. The warmth and comfort that used to envelop her when she entered her home were replaced by a feeling of emptiness. Like something was missing.

She froze when her phone rang, breaking the silence. She pulled it out of her bag and glanced at the screen. It was Jon's name on the display. She silenced the ring and stuffed it back in her bag with shaking hands.

She kicked off her shoes and wearily made her way towards the kitchen. She was just about to uncork a bottle of wine when her hand stilled, hesitating.

Maybe she ought to go out. Stop sitting at home and stare at the tv, it did her no good. She could do what she used to do... _before_. Go to a club, let some nameless, faceless guy buy her a drink, get out of her head for a night. It might help to jolt her out of the funk she was currently in. Set her mind right, rid her of the guilt that kept nagging at her.

She stowed the wine bottle back in the cabinet and made her way to her bedroom to change. She chose a black dress. Short, tight, the perfect fit for a night out.

She went to the bathroom and spent a few minutes on her makeup. She never needed much. A smoky eye and a swipe of blood-red lipstick would do the trick. She grabbed a purse and stuffed her keys, wallet, and phone into it, leaving in a hurry before she could change her mind.

She found herself following the route to one of her old haunts. Some flashy club in the heart of the city. She parked her car at a crowded parking lot in the vicinity of the club and made her way towards the main entrance.

There was already a large number of people standing outside, smoking and chatting. The loud music from inside was spilling into the street. The bouncer waved her in as soon as she saw her.

The interior was dark and crowded. She made her way straight to the bar and took a seat, drumming her fingers restlessly on the gleaming counter. She never had to wait long.

Within seconds, a guy was already standing next to her.

"Hi," he said, cocking his head and giving her what he clearly thought was a winsome smile, "can I buy you a drink?"

She nodded, giving him a quick glance. Tall, brown hair and eyes, that's all she got. She thought he might've told her his name, she wasn't really paying attention. Greg or Craig or something to that effect.

She mumbled her own name in response. She sipped at her drink, all she could taste was the alcohol, making her head pleasantly buzz. Just what she needed, to feel good and numb.

The guy was prattling on about something next to her, she gave monosyllabic answers to his questions. At some point, he must've realized she wasn't all that riveted to his words and changed tactics.

"Wanna dance?" he asked, raising his voice to be heard over the din of the music.

"Sure," she put her drink down and followed him to the dancefloor. Within a few seconds, they were dancing. Or something akin to it. The guy had his arms around her and they were moving to the music.

She couldn't help but draw a parallel to the time she went to 'The Wildling' with Jon. It was roughly the same deal, drinks, dancing. But it felt so very different. The song blended into another as they continued swaying on the dancefloor. The guy lowered his hand so it was resting low on her back.

Dany blinked, having a sudden moment of clarity. She felt like she was gazing at herself from outside her body. The loud music, the smoke, that fucking guy with his hands on her. _What am I even doing here?_

She felt sick, bile rising in her throat. _This isn't normal._ What was the point? She couldn't even remember.

Abruptly, she pulled away from him. He blinked at her in confusion.

"I gotta go," she said. Then she turned around and walked away, not waiting for a response. She pushed through the crowd, making her way out of the club.

Once she was outside, she took a deep breath, a lungful of cold fresh air. She was already feeling slightly better. Maybe it just wasn't for her anymore. The clubbing, the drinking, the one-night stands with nameless guys. She was just shy of thirty years old and she was tired of it. It wasn't fun anymore.

She slowly made her way back to her car and drove home.

She still hated the lonely evenings, that new emptiness that permeated her apartment. She resolved to give Missy a call and invite her over the next evening. It'd been too long and she truly missed her. The thought made her feel instantly better, and with that in mind, she climbed into bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

  


✈✈✈

  


_**King's Landing International Airport, Thursday 1200** _

_  
CT: River Airways 1855 Gate 10 is ready for you.  
  
Pilot: River Airways 1855, don’t you have a Follow-me for us?  
  
CT: That's a negative, River Airways 1855 let’s just see how you find your own way to Gate 10._

  
Dany stepped out of the control room at the tower for her mandatory break. She pulled out her phone and dialed Missy's number.

Missy finally picked up, right before Dany was about to hang up. She sounded out-of-breath.

"Hi, Miss, bad time?" Dany inquired, wondering if she interrupted her friend in the midst of something.

"Nah, just... getting from one side of the house to another is more taxing than it used to be," Dany heard her heave a sigh through the phone, "I'm so much _heavier_ than I used to be," she grumbled, but Dany could hear the smile in her voice.

Missy adored being pregnant, Dany knew it. The excitement over growing a new life inside of her eclipsing the hardships that came with it by leaps and bounds. She'd been spending most of her free time gushing over baby clothes and color choices for the nursery.

"How about you come over tonight and let my ply you with virgin Margaritas," Dany suggested with a giggle, "and you can complain as much as you want."

"Sounds like a treat," Missy sounded enthusiastic about the prospect, "what time?"

"20:00?" suggested Dany, "I have a short shift today, just babysitting some newbies, showing them the ropes and all, so I'll be home early afternoon."

"Hmm.. make it 19:00? I get sleepy way earlier than usual nowadays."

"It's a date." Dany hung up the phone and went to find something to eat.

She went back into the tower a few minutes before the end of her break. She took back her seat and motioned to one of the trainee ATCs to listen in.

_  
CT: StormWays 2341, for noise abatement turn right 45 Degrees.  
  
Pilot: StormWays 2341, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?  
  
CT: Well I don't know, StormWays 2341, how much noise does a 747 make when it hits a 727?_

  


  


✈✈✈

  


Dany heard the knock on the door and hastened to open it, revealing Missy, standing there with a big grin on her face.

"Dany!" the friends hugged. Missy shook her head which had droplets of water clinging to it, bemoaning about the rain outside.

"I haven't seen you much outside of work lately," Missy remarked, shrugging off her coat, "not since you met a certain sexy pilot," she winked at her.

Dany bit her lip, her smile flickering, "Well, that's over and done with."

"Oh?" Missy arched an eyebrow, her hand stilling over her coat, which she was in the process of hanging on a hook by the door.

Dany sighed, "Come on, let me pour you a drink and we'll talk."

Missy headed to the living room and Dany to the kitchen to get their drinks. When Dany came back, glasses in hand, Missy had already kicked off her high heels and stretched out comfortably on the sofa, stacking every available throw pillow behind her back and sighing contentedly.

Dany handed her a cocktail glass and sat down next to her with a glass of her own. 

Missy mock-pouted when eyeing the alcohol-free contents of her glass, "Gods, I'll be glad when I can have an actual glass of wine again," she sighed, tracing circles on her own protruding belly, "not that fake stuff."

"Fake stuff?"

"Mmm, Grey took pity on me last weekend and bought some alcohol-free wine."

"And how was it?"

"It was..." Missy took a small sip from her glass, smacking her lips in approval, "like very expensive grape-juice," she laughed, "but this is better."

"Least I could do," Dany smiled, "you don't have much longer to go, anyhow."

"I don't," agreed Missy, "but I won't be able to drink while breastfeeding either, so..."

Dany clinked her glass with hers, "You'll manage."

Missy smiled warmly, "I will."

They drank in silence for a few moments.

"So..." Missy started, eyebrow quirking up. Dany knew what she was about to ask but feigned ignorance.

"So...?"

"So spill. About the captain."

Dany took another large sip, tapping her fingers nervously on her glass, "Nothing much to tell, really," she said, "we had a nice time for a while and now..." she shrugged, fixing her eyes on her glass to avoid Missy's inquisitive gaze, "now it's over."

"And did you break things off or did he?" Missy prodded gently.

Dany said nothing, just took another sip.

"Ah."

"Don't 'Ah' me, what?"

"Nothing," Missy stretched slightly, getting more comfortable on her mountain of pillows.

"Missy, come on..."

Missy shrugged, "I guess I had an inkling that you'd be the one to break it off."

"I-" Dany shook her head, getting up to pace restlessly across the room, "he wanted too much, things I couldn't give him. And I didn't- I _don't_ want to hurt him so I- it was the right thing to do."

"Mmmhmm, as long as you're honest with yourself about your reasons to break it off."

"I am."

"Alright, fair enough."

They lapsed into a short silence. Dany went to the kitchen with their empty glasses to get them a refill. Her mind was buzzing with restless thoughts again. 

Why was she so bothered by Missy's words? Yes, she was the one to break things off, that was not news. _But maybe,_ her mind needled her, _maybe that's the problem._

Dany slapped the glasses on the counter with a little more force than necessary. No point thinking about this anymore. It was over and done with. It was too late for second thoughts anyway, Jon probably never wanted to speak to her again anyhow. No point looking back.

Maybe, she thought sourly while mixing the drinks, maybe Val will finally get her wish and succeed at getting him into her bed, which she clearly had been trying to do for a while now. Dany ignored the clenching in her stomach that this thought provoked, choosing to take a long sip of her glass instead, staring vacantly at the cocktail shaker.

She heard a noise and raised her head to see Missy standing at the doorway to the kitchen, a small crease of concern on her forehead.

"Dany, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Dany picked up Missy's glass and handed it to her, "let's go sit back down."

She started making her way out of the kitchen but Missy stopped her, "I'm sorry if I overstepped, Dany," Missy said gently, "you know I just want you to be happy."

"I know Missy," Dany waved her off, "don't worry about it," she gave Missy what she hoped was a reassuring smile, even though her gut was still twisting uncomfortably, "I am happy, truly."

They made their way back to the living room.

"Enough about me then," Dany smiled at her, "tell me how the nursery design is going."

"Ooh," Missy eagerly grabbed her phone, clicking frantically, "you HAVE to see the most adorable wallpaper I found, it's a forest scape with bunnies and ducklings."

Dany laughed, getting swept by her friend's enthusiasm. She moved closer to Missy, looking at the pictures with interest as Missy pointed and explained her vision for the nursery.

  


✈✈✈

  


Missy hugged her goodbye warmly, "Take care of yourself, Dany, I'll see you at work next week."

Dany returned the hug, "See you then. Good night, Missy." The door closed.

Dany slowly made her way back to the living room, plopping down on the sofa, her unfinished cocktail glass in hand.

 _I'm happy, truly,_ were her words to Missy. But was she? She used to be, she was certain. Well, maybe "happy" was the wrong word. Content. She used to be content with her life. But something changed lately, something shifted. The growing chasm inside her that indicated that something was missing.

Dany leaned back with a sigh and propped her feet up on the coffee table. Her foot landed on something soft. She nudged the item with her toe to realize it was Missy's scarf.

Not five seconds later, there was a knock on the door. Dany smiled to herself and snatched the scarf off the table, unsteadily making her way to the door.

"Here you go-" she started saying then froze, the scarf dangling from her hand. 

Because it wasn't a forgetful Missy on the other side of the door. Because Jon Snow was standing at her doorway, looking as though he was conjured by her dreams. His dark curls were slightly damp from the rain outside, there were droplets of water scattered on the shoulders of his black leather jacket.

She snapped her mouth shut, and just stood there staring at him for a few seconds, taking him in.

He looked so beautiful she could cry.

"Jon," she finally said, mouth dry and heart pounding, "what are you doing here?"

"May I come in?" he asked softly. She couldn't quite decipher the look in his eyes.

She stepped back. Jon stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. She watched him in silence, still clutching the scarf in one hand, her glass in the other. He shrugged off his leather jacket and hung it on the rack by the door.

She mutely led him to the living room, sitting back down on the sofa, dropping the scarf by her side.

"I'd offer you a drink, but I'm afraid I'm all out," she said, gesturing to her own half-empty glass.

"I'm good," he said. He came to sit across from her, regarding her silently.

His unflinching look was starting to make her nervous. Well, _more_ nervous.

"So what can I do for you?" she asked finally, fixing her eyes on a point somewhere off his right shoulder, trying to avoid looking into his eyes.

"You haven't been returning my calls," he said evenly, "do you want to tell me what's going on?"

Dany took a deep breath, her fingers tapping nervously on the glass in her hand.

She took a long gulp, steeling herself. "I don't think-" she started, pausing to swallow with difficulty, "I don't think this is going to work."

Jon cocked his head at her, "Why?"

She couldn't sit still anymore. She got up, walking towards the window. She leaned against it, staring out to the street outside, dark and wet with rain.

"I don't... do this," she finally muttered, making a vague gesture with her hand, "it's going to just end in heartbreak, so you should just get out while you can," she smiled bitterly.

 _Everything ends_ , her mind reasoned with her, _better sooner rather than later. It's easier this way._ Then why was her heart screaming in her chest, beating frantically like a caged bird?

She ignored it.

"I'm not going to do that," she heard his soft voice, much closer than she anticipated, "You can't push me away". She turned her head to find him standing mere feet away from her. His eyes were fixed upon her face, the expression on his face so soft it took her breath away.

She shook her head, derisively, fighting back tears, "Why?" she blurted out. She didn't deserve this sort of looks from him, not after disappearing as she did. 

_Why is he still here?_

"Because," he stepped closer, placing his hand gently on her cheek, turning her face to him so that they were eye to eye, "I love you. And I think you love me too."

She was fighting a losing battle. The tears spilled out of her eyes, sliding down her cheeks. Her trembling fingers placed the glass on the window sill before it dropped and shattered to pieces.

He wrapped his arms around her waist then, drawing her to him so they stood face to face. He tipped his head so that his forehead was pressed to hers. She could feel his breath on her lips.

"Tell me to go and I will, Dany," he murmured, "tell me to leave you alone and I'll respect your wishes. But... if you feel the same," he blew out a breath, his voice was but a whisper, "ask me to stay. Ask me and I'll stay, forever if you'll have me."

Dany was paralyzed. Thoughts and emotions swirling together in a giant mass that threatened to drown her, warring inside her mind. She didn't know what to say, she was frozen in space and time, unable to move. The world dimmed around her, the only sound she could hear was her own shaky breaths. 

After a while, seconds or maybe years, she couldn't tell, Jon finally stepped back, closing his eyes in defeat. She felt suddenly cold when he moved away from her.

"When you're ready, then," he said quietly, turning and making his way towards the door, his head bowed.

The sight of him walking away finally kicked her stupefied brain into action.

"Stay."

He stopped, his back still turned to her.

"Stay, Jon. Please," her voice broke on the last syllable. And then her legs were moving and he was turning around and a breathless second later, she was in his arms, clutched so tightly she could barely breathe. And then he was kissing her, she was kissing him and she felt something finally _finally_ fall into place.

How could she ever doubt this? Nothing had ever felt so right before. Nothing had ever made her so _happy_ before.

They somehow made their way to the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes along the way.

He was on top of her, slipping inside of her, their eyes open and gazing at each other the whole time. Nothing had ever felt this intimate in her entire life. His eyes burned into hers while their bodies merged together. She recognized the look in his eyes now, it mirrored her feelings completely.

It was the first time she could fully grasp why the act was called _making love_.

Love.

The kind of which she thought only existed in movies and fairytales. The kind she never ever thought she could have. The kind that she always wondered why she never experienced. Until he entered her life.

Maybe it was fate, if such a thing even existed. All she knew was that being with him, their bodies wrapped around each other so tightly, was making her feel whole and more at peace than she ever had before.

Her eyes rolled back when the wave hit, her body wracked with pleasurable currents, over and over again until she could barely breathe. Until she felt him shudder and join her, breath hot against her mouth, pressed so deep inside that she was certain they were merged together into one entity.

The drowning sensation was back. Not the suffocating kind, but gentle, sweet, and engulfing. And it was the best thing she had ever felt in her entire life.

  


✈✈✈

  


Dany's eyes blinked open slowly. For one groggy heart-stopping moment, she thought it might have all been a dream, a mere fantasy conjured by her lonely mind. Momentary fear gripped her heart like a vice.

But then she felt a gentle tug and Jon was there. And she was in her bed, in his arms and she couldn't help but smile at him in wonder.

"You're really here," she murmured, her fingers tracing over his bearded cheeks, his nose, his lips. He pressed soft kisses to them.

"I'm here until you ask me to leave," he murmured, lowering his head now to press a long kiss to her lips.

She returned his kiss, feeling a happy smile stretching over her lips. She wrapped her leg around him and flipped him on his back, straddling him, desire spreading through her like wildfire.

"How about never?" she murmured, leaning down to press another hot kiss against his lips, rolling her hips to elicit a gasp from him, "Does never work for you?"

He sat up then, pressing a hand to the back of her neck and kissing her earnestly. So deeply that they were both left gasping and shaking, already desperately moving together again.

"That," he whispered against her lips, breathing labored, "will work for me just fine."

  


✈✈✈

  


_**King's Landing International Airport, Saturday 0900** _

_  
CT: DornishAir 1217, do you have enough fuel to wait for a while or do you need to descend now?  
  
Pilot: Yes.  
  
CT: Yes what?  
  
Pilot: Uh.. yes, ma'am.  
  
CT: ... that was not a yes/no question 1217._

  
Finishing the current transmission, Dany took off her headset, shaking her head and giggling to herself. She stood up and stretched, glancing at her watch. Break time.

"What's so funny?" Missy raised her eyebrow at her from her console across the room.

"Nothing, just..." Dany smiled, "pilots being silly, as usual."

"'Silly', huh?" Missy smiled mischievously, "your mood has improved quite a bit the past few weeks."

That was true. Ever since she got back together with Jon, things had been... pretty damn wonderful if she were honest with herself. Better than she could ever have imagined. 

She had a lot of doubts at first, mostly that she would hurt him, and herself in the process. But Jon was patient. And understanding. And eventually, every single doubt disappeared and all she was left with was the simple overwhelming happiness she felt when he was around.

She was head over heels in love with him, she knew that now. And she told him as much. One evening when they were just sitting together on her sofa. They were watching some documentary she had picked, but the truth was she was too focused on his closeness, the warmth of his arm around her shoulders to actually take in anything.

And she just... came out and said it. For the first time ever to someone who wasn't a family member.

_"Jon?" she had murmured, raising her head from where it was resting on his shoulder to study his profile, which was frowning at the screen._

_"Mmm?"_

_"I love you."_

_He blinked then, turning his face to look at her. The look in his eyes indicating he did not quite believe he heard her right. And then his face split into a wide smile, his eyes alight with joy, "You do?"_

_She smiled back, melting a little at the expression on his face, "I do."_

_He crushed his mouth against hers then, the tv completely forgotten._

Things between them had been kind of perfect since then.

Dany slipped back into her seat after her break, giving Missy a wink. She flicked her eyes at her screen, pleased to see the NAL flight approaching the airport. A moment later a familiar northern lilt filtered through her headset.

_  
Pilot: NAL 2001 requesting approach clearance.  
  
CT: Clearance granted, NAL 2001, head to Tango. Hope you have a nice evening.  
  
Pilot: Oh, I plan to, control._

  
Dany smiled.

  


✈✈✈

  


_**Two years later...** _

_Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Northern Airlines flight number 1. This is a non-stop flight and is expected to take roughly three more months._

Dany giggled, running her hand languidly through Jon's hair. They were sprawled on their bed, she on her back and Jon on his stomach, his mouth pressed against the prominent bump on hers. He continued his speech.

_The weather ahead is good and we expect no delays. So fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride._

He pressed a soft kiss to her stomach and chuckled when he noticed the movement inside.

"I guess they like that," he said with a proud smile.

Dany laughed, putting a gentle hand on her stomach, feeling the insistent movements under her fingers, "They do," she agreed, "they're always excited to hear their daddy's voice."

She closed her eyes, sighing in contentment, reveling in Jon's gentle touch on her stomach, his fingers coming to tangle with hers, holding on tightly.

The last two years had been nothing short of a whirlwind. After a few short months of dating and spending every single free moment together, he had asked her to move in with him.

She had, quite enthusiastically, said yes. The next few months after that had been an utter cliché version of domestic bliss. Jon had even managed to secure himself a part-time instructor position in the NAL offices in KL, which meant fewer flights on his schedule and more time home with her.

She hadn't noticed, at first, that she was more tired than usual. She attributed it to the relatively little sleep she got on the nights they were both at home, which happened more frequently than before.

But apparently, there was more to it than that.

 _Pregnant._ They were having twins. A boy and a girl. Tiny little beings safely resting inside of her. After the initial shock, Jon had been over the moon about it ever since they found out.

The thought of having kids would have terrified her a few months earlier, but now.. with Jon by her side, she felt certain that they could do this. 

Together.

  


✈✈✈

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all, folks ;)  
> I didn't want to make a lengthy epilogue, as it was never the intention to do that with this story, so I hope the lil' glimpse into the future gave you the HEA you were looking for ;)
> 
> Future plans:
> 
> \- By popular demand, I've already started working on a 2nd part to [Don't Look](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24080104). I'll probably make it another story in the same series rather than a 2nd chapter (I rather like that one as is). Lemme tell you, it's a challenge since I've never meant to write a sequel so I didn't exactly have a plan. And I feel the need to go a bit back in time and show bits of how we got to this point so... I have some things to think about 😅 but it's fun so far.
> 
> \- I have another work in mind, which I have a loose outline for. Planning for it to be longer than this story, but hopefully not a monstrosity. But it's in very early stages, so it'll be a while. I can say that it's a modern AU (duh) and in a setting I have never seen before in this fandom (or any, tbh :P).
> 
> Thanks everyone, hope to see you all again soon ^^


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